Living The Life
by bikerboysgirl
Summary: This is part 4 of my SoA series. The first three are as followed: A Fresh Start (part 1); Wedding Bells? (part 2); European Adventure (part 3). I recommend reading the first 3 before reading this one. This will follow Juice and Krystal as they settle into marriage, get used to their pregnancy and deal with the other drama life throws at them. There will be smut, of course.
1. The Funeral

Settling on a barstool, I asked for a water when the bartender asked what I wanted. It had been a long, stressful few days. We'd gotten to London and gotten on the first cargo plane of Oswald's available. Then the funeral planning had started, and now it was finally over. Everyone was now gathered in the clubhouse. I had helped Gemma and Lyla with the planning, and had helped set up for the wake today. I just needed a few minutes off my feet, which were hurting from the heels I was wearing. I sipped my water and surveyed the room, where everyone was clustered about, sharing memories and stories of Opie.

A few minutes later, I headed back to the kitchen to help Gemma, who was setting up the buffet table. I made a plate for Lyla and took it to her as Gemma announced that everyone else could form a line to get food. She was sitting on one of the couches, holding Parker, but staring at nothing, lost in thought. I set the plate on a coffee table in front of her, and picked Parker up out of her arms. "I'll take him and feed him and then put him down for a nap. You need to eat," I told her and the corners of her mouth lifted in a ghost of a smile as she thanked me.

After getting some food that Parker could eat, I went to one of the dorm rooms and fed him, then laid with him until he fell asleep for his afternoon nap. I moved him to a playpen so he wouldn't roll off the bed, and then placed the baby monitor next to him, taking its counterpart with me when I left the room. I headed back over to Lyla, handing it to her. "He's out for the count. Second bedroom to the left. Is there anything else I can do for you right now? Or at all?" I asked her, taking the seat next to her as I scanned the room for my husband. I had been trying to let him have some time with the rest of the club members, from our charter and others, but I wanted to check in with him, and probably go check with Gemma to make sure she didn't need me to do anything.

For my own sanity, I liked to keep busy in situations like these. I wanted to do everything I can to help, and keeping myself busy kept me from focusing on my feelings, so I could be strong for those who needed me. I gave Lyla a hug when she said she couldn't think of anything for me to do right now, and then went off in search of Gemma first. I couldn't spot my husband inside, so I figured he was outside, so I'd go check on Gemma and then head outside to see him. I found Gemma in the kitchen as expected, and she told me there was nothing for me to do at the moment, so I headed outside, slowing to say something to someone every now and again, but never stopping.

As soon as I caught sight of him I felt the familiar butterflies, even though I could only see his back. I was glad that he could still incite the same feelings in me that he had when I was fifteen, despite the fact that we'd been apart 8 years in the interim. I fell for him just as hard a year ago as I had when I was fifteen, and I loved him even more now than I had then, and I knew it was never going to change. We had been through so much to get to this point, and I knew neither of us were going to let anything separate us again. We were meant to be together. I had known that when I was a teenager, and I knew it even more so now.

Coming up beside him, I snaked an arm around his waist, leaning my head on his chest. He was standing with Chibs, Tig and someone from another charter whose name I couldn't remember at the moment. I had met a lot of club members yesterday and today as they'd all come for the funeral. There were members from all our various charters. I couldn't remember the names of every single person I'd met, even though I was usually good with names. I didn't interrupt their conversation, but Juan placed a kiss on the top of my head, his arm wrapping around me and holding me close to his side.

Unable to really summon the energy to say much, I just listened as the guys talked, trying to keep up with the conversation, but mainly getting lost inside my own head. I still couldn't believe Opie was gone. We didn't know much more now than we had when we'd gotten the call, while we were still in Europe. Opie was killed while at the clubhouse. He had been here alone, so no one knew exactly what had happened. Juan was keeping me updated, but so far Jax didn't have any firm leads. His plan was to find out who'd done it, get revenge, and get us out of our illegal ventures. He-and every other club member and their family and loved ones-were tired of people dying.

Honestly, I had a feeling things would get messy before they got any better. I was worried, for Juan, for all of SAMCRO, for anyone related to the club. I didn't have anything to base the fear on but gut instinct, so I hadn't said anything to anyone, yet. I didn't want to worry anyone else unnecessarily. I'd just keep going with the flow and taking whatever happens as it happens. I would just have to trust that everything would work out the way it was meant to. And, likely, hold my breath any time Juan went on any type of run or errand for the club. I would have to trust that he could take care of himself, and that the other members could take care of themselves too. I'd grown to love all of them. I didn't want to lose any of them.

After a few minutes of gathering strength and comfort from my husband, I decided to go check on my best friends, since I hadn't seen them in a while. I was tall enough in my heels that I didn't have to stretch too far to place a kiss on Juan's cheek, despite the fact that he's more than 6 inches taller than me. I murmured that I was going to look for Brie and Skye, gave both Chibs and Tig a hug, and then started moving through the crowd again. I spotted them fairly quickly, heading over to the swing set where they were. Wendy was holding Kallie. Brie and Skye were each sitting on a swing as Thomas and Abel were taking turns going on the slide. I'd seen Tara inside trying to comfort Jax.

Both Brie and Skye rose and I walked into a sort of 3-way hug. I took a deep breath before pulling back, glancing over my shoulder at Chibs before looking back at Brie. "You might want to check on him. I know you've been giving him space like I've been giving Juan some space, but he asked about you when I was over there a minute ago," I told her and she nodded before walking over there. I sank onto her swing, and Skye sat back down on the one she'd been on. "I'm," I paused, not wanting to lie. "I'll be alright. I keep busy to keep the demons at bay," I told the two, and Skye just nodded. She knew how I was.

After another moment or two, I left them alone, and headed back inside. Gemma was refilling some of the foods on the buffet table, so I started helping her do that. That actually kept me busy for about half an hour, maybe 45 minutes. I was standing in the kitchen when Juan came to find me. "How are you doing, wife?" he asked, opening his arms and I stepped forward into a hug that was just as much for me as it was for him. I didn't need to say anything, I buried my face in the crook of his neck and he rested his cheek on top of my head and we just stood like that for a minute, wrapped in each other.

Pressing a kiss to his neck, I leaned back, still keeping my arms wrapped around him, and looked up into his eyes, trying to see how he was doing. I stretched up to place a kiss on his lips. "I love you so much for asking, but you know me. I'll be fine. How are you doing?" I asked him, and his answer was just to pull me into another hug. I got the message. He just wanted to hold me for a while. I figured we could both use it, so I led him to the dorm room we usually slept in and he laid on the bed. I kicked off my heels before climbing in with him, curling up to his side, hoping he might fall asleep. He hadn't really been sleeping well. I wasn't either, but I was used to that, so I was more worried about him.

For a while I listened to his heartbeat and even breathing after he drifted off. I was planning on waiting until he was in a deep enough sleep that I could slip away and leave the room without him noticing it, but before I could do that, I fell asleep as well. I was the one who woke up to an empty bed a little while later. I was surprised he'd managed to get out from under me without waking me up, but simply stretched and slipped my feet back into my heels before going to find him. My phone was in my purse somewhere in the kitchen, so I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep.

When I left the hallway and entered the main room of the clubhouse, I saw that there were still people gathered for the wake, though it was mainly our charter and their Old Ladies. A pipe was being passed around and I took it from Happy as I sat between him and Juan. I took a deep hit and then passed it on, waiting for my husband to take a hit and pass it on as well before I curled into his side. "How long did I sleep? And why didn't you wake me when you got up?" I asked him lowly, examining the circle. Jax, Rat, Tig, Chibs, Happy, Quinn and Juan composed the group here, so I figured the women were cleaning up the kitchen.

Draping an arm around my shoulders, he kissed the top of my head. "I literally just came out here a couple of minutes ago. I guess we slept for a few hours or so," he answered. I nodded, waited for the pipe to come around to me again and took another hit before getting up, letting him know I was going to go find the women and see what I can do. I found them all in the kitchen, Gemma, Tara, Skye, Brie, Wendy, Lyla, Venus and Brooke. I washed my hands before I started helping them as they put all the leftovers away.

A little while later, Lyla was ushering the kids into the car so she could get them all home, and I walked her out. I asked her again if she needed anything and I could tell she was about to cry again as she said she had no family here and was thinking of moving to be closer to her family. "Hey, hey, hey. This is your family. We all love you, and I know any of us would be happy to help you out. Anything you need. You know my number. You call or text me any time, day or night. You don't have to go anywhere," I assured her, pulling her into a hug. She nodded against my shoulder, but didn't say anything else before getting in the car and leaving. I watched her car disappear before heading inside.

 **A/N:** _Here's the first chapter. I hope I still have readers after Opie's death. I really feel bad about it, but that's how it wrote itself. Please read and review. I'll try to post again this weekend. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this series as it's progressed and I hope you stick with it till the end._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	2. Back To Work

A few days later, it was time to get back to the daily grind. We'd had a few days off since we'd come home early, but I needed to return to the hospital, both for work, and because I had an ultrasound today. Juan was going to try to be there, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it or not. They were taking care of some club business today, and he needed to do some computer work. I understood, and I knew there'd be other ultrasounds, but I really wanted him to be there to hear the heartbeat with me for the first time. I knew Tara, at least, would be at the hospital today, and she said she'd stop in to check on me, and stay with me if Juan wasn't able to make it.

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was my headache. I had only managed a couple of hours of sleep, and only because it had been so long. Last night was the first time I'd slept since we were in Europe, with the exception being during the nap I'd had during the wake. It was still barely 4 in the morning, but because of my headache, I knew going back to sleep wasn't an option. I got up and started a pot of coffee, dry swallowing some Tylenol for my headache as it brewed. I wasn't really sure why I wasn't sleeping, except that when life stressed me out, insomnia set in. I was used to it, even if sleeping with Juan had mostly kept the insomnia at bay. Death brought on demons that even he couldn't keep away. I'd be sleeping alright again eventually.

After drinking a cup of coffee, I went to our pool. I didn't want to go back in to the bedroom to get a bathing suit and risk waking Juan, so I just stripped down to my bra and underwear and got in. It was mildly cold outside since it was the beginning of February, but our pool was heated so we kept it cleaned and used it pretty much any time of year. I swam laps for a while, wrapping a towel around myself when I got out to head inside. I found Juan leaning against the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee in his hands when I entered the house and glanced at a clock, noticing it was past 5:30 now. "Are you ever going to talk to me about the fact you're not sleeping, or do I have to keep waiting and pretending to not worry about you?" he asked.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my wet hair. I still needed to get it cut. Just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I sighed again and looked back at him. "My insomnia kicks in when I'm stressed. I'll talk to my doctor about it today, because I know being sleep deprived isn't good for me or the baby at this point," I walked over to him and stretched up to give him a kiss, trying not to burn either of us with his coffee, and then I noticed that he had refilled my cup, so I smiled and picked it up and we drank our coffee together.

When we were finished drinking coffee I headed for our bathroom, depositing my towel and bra and panties in the laundry room on the way. "You know, swimming and shower sex, I might just wear myself out enough today to sleep tonight. Wanna help me use some energy?" I tossed over my shoulder as I reached the stairs. It was only a couple seconds before I heard footsteps rushing after me. He scooped me up into his arms and headed for the bathroom and I let out a giggle, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding on tight. He set me down in the bathroom and I stepped into our shower, turning the water on and adjusting it as he dropped his boxers and joined me.

After some amazing shower sex, it was about time to get ready for work. "I have an early appointment. I hope to see you later," I told him when I finished. He got out his laptop so he could work on some stuff before heading to church this morning. I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. "I love you, husband," I said and he repeated the words, reaching up to pull me into another kiss that almost had me climbing back into bed with him. "I really have to go. Shit," I said when I pulled away, noticing his laptop had been pushed aside and I was sitting in his lap. I stood and straightened my clothing. "You're a sex fiend, ace," I laughed grabbing my phone off the nightstand.

Picking up his laptop again, he cocked an eyebrow at me. "Ace?" he asked about the nickname. I shrugged, grinned, and told him he reminded me of a character in a book and I was calling him Ace now. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked. I winked and sent him a "Wouldn't you like to know" smirk over my shoulder as I left the room. "I love you, angel of mine. I'll do my best to see you later," he called to me before turning his attention back to his laptop.

A few hours and two appointments with me doing the ultrasound later, I was laid back on an exam table, my shirt up and my stomach exposed as I waited for my own doctor. Tara wasn't in the room yet and Juan hadn't managed to get here either, so I was all alone as I waited. I blew out a sigh, looking at my phone, willing my husband to text me or call me to let me know he was on his way, but nothing happened. It stayed silent in my hand, leaving me staring at the picture of him that was my wallpaper until the screen went black because I wasn't doing anything. I looked at the door as it opened, but it was only Tara, followed by my doctor.

My doctor, Dr. Greene, smiled at me and nodded at Tara. "Hello Dr. Knowles, hey Krystal. How are you both doing today? Your husband couldn't make it?" she asked as she took her seat on the stool and began to get ready. I was about to tell her that unfortunately, no, it looked like he wasn't going to be able to be here, when the door opened and he appeared. I grinned widely, relieved, and Dr. Greene smiled at him, too. "Ah, Juice, you're just in time," she reached over and shook his hand, and then snapped on her gloves.

Before I could say anything to Juan, Tara told me she'd text me later, and left us alone. I thanked her for coming as the door shut behind her, and then reached out and took my husband's hand. "I'm really glad you could make it," I told him as he leaned down to give me a kiss. Dr. Greene warned me it was going to be cold, even though I already knew that, of course, and then spread the gel on my stomach, moving the transducer around as she tried to find the right location.

For a few moments there was silence. I was watching the screen, a little bit in awe that I was looking for my own child on the screen that I showed so many others their children on. I had my hand in Juan's, our fingers laced together, and when the heartbeat started pounding in the room, he squeezed my hand tightly, causing me to look at him and realize he was as much in awe as I was. "That's our baby?" he asked, but then I realized that the heartbeat wasn't normal for one child.

Snapping my gaze back to the screen before the doctor could reply, I felt my jaw drop. "No," I answered, before Dr. Greene could say anything. I looked back at my husband in complete shock. "No. That's not our baby. Those are our babies," I corrected, running a hand through my hair. He looked confused for a second, then my words seemed to really register and his jaw dropped too. "We're having twins," I confirmed, before looking back to the screen, so Dr. Greene could show us both baby A and baby B.

About twenty minutes later, I had my prescription for prenatal vitamins, and two sonogram pictures of each baby from different angles. I'd also had some blood work done and an appointment to come back to get the results in about a week. It was definitely still too early to tell the sex of the babies, but we were going to have another ultrasound in a couple months and we'd be able to tell then. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we were going to have not one baby, but two as I wiped my stomach clean and adjusted my clothing. "Where's your head, angel of mine? How are you doing with this? I mean, this is gonna be a lot of work, but I think we can do it. How are you feeling?" he spoke, drawing me out of my thoughts and bringing my attention to him.

Looking at him, I could tell he was shocked, but still happy. I was feeling a little overwhelmed, but I realized that I was still just as happy. I grinned at him, glad to see the beautiful grin I loved so much in return. "A lot of work is an understatement, but we've always wanted a big family. This just means one less pregnancy I have to go through I guess," I answered, slipping off the table to wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into a kiss. "When do you have to be back?" I asked, thinking about getting lunch with him before I had my next appointment.

Kissing my forehead, he told me he had to get back very soon. I sighed. "Okay, Ace, go do your thing. Have you found out anything yet?" I asked and he shook his head. I ran a hand through my hair again, biting on my lip. I gave him another kiss. "You guys will figure this out. I have faith in you," I told him, then paused. "I'm probably going to stop by Lyla's after work. See if there's anything I can do. But maybe next time everyone's gathered at the clubhouse we can let them all know the good news," I suggested.

Taking a moment to think it over, he nodded, giving me another kiss. I could tell he was going to be breaking away to leave, so I deepened it until it left us both breathless. "I need to leave before you seduce me. And you call me the fiend," he teased when he could speak. I blinked up at him innocently. "That's a good idea, about telling everyone, but you know Brie and Skye will kill you if you don't tell them first, so I suggest calling them and letting them know, either before or after you go check on Lyla. That's the fourth time you've been over there since we've been home. Is she doing okay?" he asked.

Laughing because he was completely right about Brie and Skye, I considered his question, and shrugged as my expression sobered. "She's getting by. It's hard for her to take care of all the kids, but she's managing. I keep going because I want her to know we're all here. She'll make it, I think. It won't be easy, but she's strong," I finally said, giving him one last kiss before letting him go. He turned, telling me he loved me as he headed for the door. I slapped his ass, winking at him when he glanced back at me. "I love you, back, Ace," I replied.

 **A/N:** _I'm glad I still have people reading. And, yes, they're having twins. I am still deciding on names, so I'm open to ideas. Feel free to make suggestions. I will give credit if I decide to use any. That goes for any type of suggestions, of course. I hope you like it. Please review. Thank you to everyone who read, and the ones who reviewed. I appreciate it so much!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	3. Valentine's Day

Just a few days later was Valentine's Day, and I had told Juan we didn't need to do anything special. I saw no need to have a special day to tell each other how much we love each other. We did that every day. I'd made him promise no Valentine's Day gifts. I was cooking him dinner, though. I was making one of his and my favorite dishes. It was macaroni and cheese, yes, but I added my own touches to it. I put extra cheese in it, and chopped up hamburger meat. For a vegetable I had gotten corn on the cob. I'd already made one of my chocolate pies for dessert and it was in the fridge now setting.

As I finished up cooking, I had my phone plugged into a dock, and I was jamming out to music, dancing around the kitchen as I worked, wearing one of his large tee-shirts and boycut underwear, but no bra. 'Dad's Gonna Kill Me,' by Richard Thompson was playing and I was singing along, so I didn't hear my husband come in. I saw him, when I was turning from the stove to the sink to drain the noodles, and stuck my tongue out at him, but then I noticed the bouquet of black roses and wrapped gift he was holding and I reached over to turn the music down. "I said no gifts," I reminded him, keeping my attention on what I was doing.

There was a rustle as he set the flowers and gift down on the counter, then came over to put his hands on my waist and kiss the side of my neck. "I believe your exactly words were, 'No Valentine's Gifts.' I got you a gift for our anniversary," he assured me. I turned my head to see his face, cocking an eyebrow at him. He didn't need me to voice what was going on in my mind. "I know we haven't been married a year. It was Valentine's Day last year that we went on our first date and I told you I love you," he clarified.

Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back against his chest for a moment, feeling like an idiot. "Okay, we really need to decide now which anniversaries we're celebrating? May 4th? February 14th? November 4th?" I listed our first date ever, the first date after I moved to Charming, and our wedding anniversary. His answer was all of them. I moved back to the stove when he stepped back, working to mix everything together. "All three? You sure you're gonna be able to remember all of them every year, biker boy?" I teased, but I was kind of touched that he wanted to celebrate every date important to us. "I don't have anything for you," I sighed, which was my main problem at the moment with his idea.

Chuckling, he pulled me against him, kissing the shell of my ear and nipping it with his teeth. "Trust me, I'll enjoy it as much as you will," he murmured in my ear, and that made me fairly certain it was lingerie, so I decided I'd let it slide. "Besides, you give me everything, just by being you, and loving me, Krystal Leann Ortiz. You have been so amazing since we came home. A better Old Lady than I ever hoped of having. You deserve to be appreciated, angel of mine, so you're going to have to get used to getting things," he told me. I knew he was remembering my stubbornness about accepting gifts.

Instead of responding immediately, I finished what I was doing, turning the stove off and then turning around in his arms, snaking mine around his neck. "You give me everything I ever need without buying me a damn thing, Juan Carlos Ortiz," I threw his full name back at him since he'd pulled that with me, "Honestly, I don't need material things. You know this. I have you. We have our house, and pretty soon our two babies. All I need is you and your love. You deserve a good Old Lady, so that's what I'm going to be for you. Can you do me a favor and set the table, though?" I looked up at him with puppy dog eyes and he laughed, kissing my forehead before letting me go so he could do that, while I brought the food to the table, getting a beer out of the fridge for him, and an icy water bottle for myself.

We had a very nice dinner, but it wasn't long before his phone went off, and he shot up when he checked the text. I asked him what was going on before he could get far. "We finally have a lead. I'm headed to the clubhouse. Jax should be there. You wanna come with? You can hang out at the clubhouse while we follow it," he asked, and I nodded, running upstairs to throw on a pair of black skinny jeans, a bra and a tank top. I put my leather jacket and boots on and followed him outside, getting on the back of his bike.

Rubbing my boobs, which were already growing, up against his back, I whispered in his ear. "One day soon, we're going to fuck on this bike. Perhaps when you finish following this lead. I'm gonna put you in handcuffs, because that sounds sexy as fuck. You are so fucking sexy when you're protective," I bit at the shell of his ear and scooted even closer, draped over his back as close as possible. I really enjoyed fucking him as much and as often as possible. I thought people had said that would stop when we were married, but it hadn't stopped for us in the slightest and I loved that.

Once we were at the clubhouse, Juan went to find Jax in chapel. It took them only a few minutes for Juan to let Jax know what was going on, and for them to take off, accompanied by Happy who had apparently also been there. I'd seen Tara's car in the lot, but I couldn't find Tara. I sat at the bar with a water for about five minutes and I was wondering where everyone else was when I heard the door open. A couple sets of footsteps rushed down the hall and two guys in masks came in. "This her?" a voice I didn't recognize asked his partner.

Standing up, I was about to shout for help, do something, but before I could even really react, the other one had hit me in the face. I barely heard his reply as I lost consciousness. "It has to be. Tara's car is here, and he told us she had dark hair, and no one else is supposed to be here." Then I was lost to the darkness. The first thing that went through my mind when I started to come to was 'How in the actual fuck do I keep getting myself in these situations?' I tried to reach up and feel my head, which was pounding, and realized that I was tied up.

Slowly opening my eyes, I tried to figure out where I was and what the situation was, but the bright lights agitated my head, so I snapped them shut again, trying again a few seconds later and managing to keep them open. I noticed that Tara was tied up next to me, and then my brain finally caught up and I realized I was hearing a man's voice yelling at someone else. "You fucking idiots. I said get Tara. What the fuck happened? How do you end up with two Old Ladies? Don't even fucking answer that. You two idiots get in there and sort this shit out. When you've finished up, report back to me. You know where I'll be," I heard, and then I heard footsteps down a hallway as whoever it was who'd been yelling left. He had an accent, but I couldn't place if it was Irish or something else.

For the next few minutes, the "two idiots" I could only assume, argued about what to do, but they weren't shouting and they stayed in the hallway outside the room, and the door was closed. My hands were tied behind my back, and it felt something like the rope that had my hands tied was tied to the chair I was sitting in. I looked over at Tara, who was still unconscious, and noticed she seemed to be in the same predicament. My legs were loose, so I tried to kick her chair hard enough to wake her, whispering her name, but I didn't want to attract the attention of the men, so I couldn't be loud enough to wake her.

Sighing, I grumbled under my breath, trying to figure out what I could do, when the door opened and the two men I'd seen wearing masks earlier came into the room. I asked them what they wanted, trying to remain apathetic and unbothered, my emotionless mask I'd perfected over the years in place. "You're not Tara, so I'm guessing you're the tech guy's Old Lady. We were meant to pass on a message to Tara, but since there was a slight misunderstanding, we get to have fun with both of you," one of the men answered, and I was pretty sure it was an Irish accent.

Trying to work out what they were getting at, I asked what the message was, and who I was supposed to give it to, exactly. The other one slowly approached me. "Well, our boss has realized that Opie's murder doesn't mean anything if you don't know who did it. So he had someone pretending to be a witness to keep your men busy, and we were supposed to tell Teller's Old Lady this: It's not going to be as simple as just walking away from the Real IRA. He better think long and hard about it, or not only will more people die, we will find all the women, and repeat what is about to happen to you two. Lucky you, Teller's lady is still unconscious, so you get to go first," he took a knife and reached behind me, cutting me loose from the chair, but my hands were still bound behind my back.

Grabbing me by the throat, he kissed me hard. I realized where this was going and I started fighting, biting down hard on his tongue when he tried to force it into my mouth, and aiming my knee at his groin. He groaned in pain, throwing me to the floor hard enough to jar my already pounding head as it smacked onto the floor. I had trouble focusing but I listened as he cursed and the other guy tried to hold my feet down while the other guy recovered, and then set to work pulling my pants down. I may not have had access to my hands, but I was not going to be a victim again if I could help it. I kicked my feet, squirmed and wiggled, doing anything I could. I managed to get a leg free and kick one in the face, and in the next moment, Tara had thrown herself at the one I hadn't kicked.

Sitting up, I was able to angle and get my knife out of my back pocket as Tara kept the second guy busy, the other one still clutching his probably broken nose. I had just got my hands free and stood up when I noticed that Tara had lost the upper hand. The guy was on top of her and choking her, lifting up his other hand to punch her in the face. I threw myself on his back, trying to hold my knife to his neck, but before I could say anything, he started struggling to throw me off, and we ended up rolling on the floor, each of us fighting for the upper hand. In the struggle, my knife ended up buried in his neck. He gave a final gurgly gasp and collapsed on me.

Immediately I pushed him off me and scrambled out from under him. I was now covered in his blood as Tara helped me to my feet. The other guy took off running, and I heard him mumble, "I didn't sign up for this shite," as he hauled ass out of here. I didn't bother to follow him. I was barely keeping myself from a panic attack, and I was on the brink of freaking out. I looked at Tara, who had put her knife away and gave me a hug, trying to comfort me as we heard the familiar rumble of bikes approaching.

 **A/N:** _I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday. It's been a busy week. I probably won't update again until Monday because I'll be at Pride this weekend, but I promise I'll update again asap. Thanks to those who read and thank you especially to my faithful reviewer. I hope you like this chapter. As I said, there will be plenty of drama in this part. Please review!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	4. The Ex-Fiancee

(Juan's POV)

Slamming the gavel down, Jax brought us all to attention. I had been thinking of all the things I would do to the man who'd tried to rape my wife, and I focused as our president began to speak. "We're going to make this quick. A couple of hours ago, Tara and Krystal were both taken from our clubhouse," he broke off and I knew well the rage he was feeling. We'd both failed our Old Ladies, and we were mad at ourselves as much as we were mad at the Irish pricks who'd planned on assaulting our women. "Two guys, apparently had a message for us, from the Real IRA," he continued, telling the basics of what Krystal and Tara had told us.

A few of the other guys had sat up straighter at hearing that they'd been taken, and now the rest of the guys were hanging on his words, trying to figure out where this was going. "Basically, it was the Irish who killed Opie, because they heard we're planning to get out of guns. They said if we didn't rethink this decision, more people would die, and they could get to any of our Old Ladies and any time. They tried to rape them both, but they really had no idea what they were dealing with when they got those two," he chuckled. He wasn't amused by what could have happened, but his wife's strength made him proud. I felt the same way about Krystal.

Angry murmurs had been uttered when the word rape had been said, but when Jax finished the sentence, there were murmurs of relief. I was staying silent as I waited for him to finish. "They're fine now. One of the guys is dead, and the other one took off as we were arriving. Juice picked up a partial plate as we pulled up, but since the women weren't thrown on the back of the guy's bike, we headed inside. So he'll be using the partial to search for the second guy. We'll take care of him when we can. Right now we need to decide how we're going to proceed with the Irish," he held up his hands as nearly everyone demanded retaliation. "Obviously, it's going to be dangerous. We'll have to be careful and smart about this," he added.

For a while, we bounced ideas back and forth, but we couldn't decide on one right action to take just yet. We didn't know enough. We didn't know if there was one person in particular who was set against us stepping away, or if it was the whole organization. We decided to take some more time to consider, hold off on taking action, and try to find a solution that will get us out of guns without the Irish hating us. For now, we were going to keep our women safe, make sure no one else got killed, and pretend we had no inclination of getting out of guns. When we had a possible solution, Jax would set up the meetings and put things in motion.

Once we were dismissed, I left the chapel and found my wife sitting on one of the couches. She'd showered, so her hair was still damp, and she was swimming in one of my sweatshirts and had a pair of black leggings on. She had been covered in blood when we'd found her, and I still remembered the fear that had gripped me as I'd worried that some of it had been hers. Luckily, she only had a black eye and a lump on her head. I knew emotionally she was going through a hell of a roller coaster though. She had killed a man, even if it was accidentally and in self-defense. It was different than when we'd taken care of Luciano. He'd deserved to die and she knew it. The Irishman hadn't had any personal vendetta against her, so she felt bad for being the reason he was dead.

Studying her, with her knees drawn up to her chest, and her chin resting on them, her green eyes staring intently into space as she was lost in her thoughts, I felt a surge of pride and gratitude for the fact that she was in my life. I was immensely grateful that she hadn't been hurt or attacked again, but I still feel like I failed her because I had let her get taken in the first place. She noticed me quickly, and smiled, more of an automatic reaction than anything. I loved that she smiled just at the sight of me. I felt the same way when I saw her. I sat next to her on the couch, opening my arms so she could crawl into my lap. "How are you doing, angel?" I asked, kissing the top of her head as she rested it against my chest.

Taking a deep breath, she blew some hair off of her forehead as she tried to figure out how to respond. I waited patiently for her to find the right words. She almost never automatically said the first thing to come to mind. She tried to let her mind work through the thoughts and emotions she was experiencing and figure out exactly how she felt before she said anything. "Still kinda in shock, but I'll be okay. I'm sure he deserved it, I just wish it had been someone other than me who had done the deed," she finally said, and I wrapped her up tight in my arms, holding her close. I knew how tough a first kill could be.

Rubbing her back in the way she liked best, I tried to figure out how I could make it better. "I'm so sorry that you had to do that, angel of mine. It's never easy, even if someone deserves it, which he did, just for what he intended to do to you. This is not your fault. It's mine. I didn't keep you safe enough. You got kidnapped, again, on my watch, and I didn't find you quick enough to take care of things myself. I'm so sorry," I repeated, kissing her head again as I continued to rub her back.

Tilting her head back, she looked up at me, her green eyes intently holding mine. She reached up to cup my face in her hands. "You can't control everything that happens to me, Ace. This is not on you. Things are going to happen that are completely out of your control, and that's okay. You know, for one, I hate to be controlled. And two, you're one of the only people who actually care and love me enough to want to protect me from the world, even if that's impossible, which makes everything better for me. It's so rare in my life, and the fact that you love me that much means more to me than I could ever begin to tell you. You did not fail me, Juan," she told me, correctly guessing the reason for my apologies. She knew me better than I knew myself sometimes, and I knew her the same way.

Pulling her into a kiss that quickly deepened, I let her know how much I appreciated her words without saying a thing. I knew she'd understand. "We're going to get through this, Ace, just like we get through everything else: together. We can do anything together," she said when she pulled away to catch her breath. She got a thoughtful look on her face and quirked an eyebrow at me. "How exactly did you find me anyway? That was surprisingly quick, even for my amazing husband," she tilted her head as she waited for my answer.

For a moment, I hesitated, but then I realized I wasn't ashamed, and there was no reason to be. "Ever since Luciano got to you, I've had a tracker on your phone. I'm not taking any chances with you. It's not about being controlling. It's about making sure I can keep you safe," I told her. She considered it. I knew her gut reaction was to be irritated by the intrusion, but I honestly wasn't doing it to control her or because I didn't trust her. I only wanted to be able to keep her safe and find her if I ever needed to find it.

After a few moments of her considering, she nodded slowly. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I know you're protective and good with the electronics," she paused reflectively, but then turned serious. "I am only okay with this because I know it's purely about you needing to know I'm safe and you can get to me in the event that I'm not. I would be very much not okay with this if I thought it was because you didn't trust me in any way whatsoever. In any other situation, I'd be pissed. But I love you for wanting to keep me safe," she added.

Giving her another kiss, I began to let my hands wander. She started to run her hands up and down my chest and I knew this could escalate very quickly if we let it. I pulled back after a few minutes. "Not that I want to stop this, but I am the only one allowed to see you naked, so we should probably take this somewhere more private. You wanna go home?" I asked her. I could see the lust in her green eyes as she nodded, standing and taking my hand as I stood up. She laced her fingers through mine and started heading out of the clubhouse. I squeezed her hand, bringing it to my lips for a kiss as I let her walk ahead of me. I loved the way her hand fit in mine, the way we seemed to fit together perfectly, in every way.

Just outside the building, she stopped walking. I waited for a moment, but she didn't say anything. I stepped to the side of her so I could look at her face. She was biting her lip and I could tell she was thinking about sex. I knew that mischievous look anywhere. Things were going to get interesting. "What's going on in that mind of yours, angel?" I prompted, and she turned her head slightly, darting her tongue out to gently caress her bottom lip. She sent me a look and turned back around, leading me inside, and down the hallway, all the way to the ladder leading up to the rooftop.

Watching her ass as she climbed the ladder was a definite motivation to let her go up first. I knew she wanted to fuck on the roof top underneath the stars and I was definitely hard just thinking about it. She called me a fiend, but I really couldn't help it with her. She could make even the simplest things seem sexy. I was lucky that she had the same reaction to me. I was about to head up after her when I heard someone calling my name. I cursed under my breath, but then a figure appeared at the end of the hallway. "Juice!" I froze when I heard the familiar voice, and cursed under my breath for an entirely different reason before I was wrapped in a hug and a cloud of too much perfume.

Somehow, I'd thought my wife would never have to meet the woman I'd almost married, but I should have known that would be too good to be true. She was climbing back down the ladder and standing beside me before Chloe let me go. She cleared her throat loudly as I pushed the blonde away. "Chloe, this is my wife, Krystal. Krystal, this is Chloe," I wrapped my arm around my wife's shoulders, pulling her close in a clear message, as I gestured to the tall, willowy blonde, hoping she would be smart and keep her mouth shut. I had a feeling the promise of sex from moments ago was gonna be off the table if Chloe said the wrong thing.

With a bright smile, she held out her hand, looking Krystal up and down. My angel was eying the blonde, making no pretense at a smile or faked niceties. "It's so nice to meet you, Krystal. I'd heard Juice got married, so I was hoping I'd get to meet the woman who managed to snag him. You must be pretty amazing," she said, and Krystal hesitantly held out her hand to shake Chloe's, but didn't have a chance to speak before turning back to me. "It's so great to see you, too, Juicy. I don't think I've seen you since I moved away after you left me at the altar, so to speak," she smiled at me, but my wife, on the other hand pulled away from me so she could see my face better, the look on her face letting me know I was in deep shit.

 **A/N:** _I had an amazing weekend. I hope all you lovely people did, too. Yeah, an ex-fiancée. I didn't plan this one, she really just kinda walked into the fic. I hoped you liked this chapter, and I'll try to remember to update again Wednesday so I can get back to my regular schedule of Wednesday and Sunday updates. Please review! Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. You're all awesome!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	5. Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

Feeling a bit like I'd just been slapped, I blinked at my husband, waiting for some kind of explanation as this blonde bimbo's words echoed in my mind again: 'I don't think I've seen you since I moved away after you left me at the altar, so to speak.' My husband had been planning on marrying someone else and didn't see fit to tell me? I tried to keep calm, but my natural jealousy and possessiveness was taking over. I looked at the other woman. She couldn't be more different than me if she'd tried. She looked more like Ima: tall, willowy, blonde. If that was his type, then I sure as hell didn't fit it, so why was he with me? My insecurities were taking play in my mind, too and I honestly didn't know what to think.

Just a few moments ago I'd been leading my husband up to the roof so we could finish our anniversary with some hot sex under the stars, with the possibility of getting caught making it even sexier, and now I was here, standing with my husband and some woman I didn't know, who'd almost ended up being the one sharing anniversaries with my other half. Sex was so not gonna happen now, and I sighed inwardly in disappointment. I didn't want this to lead to a fight, but I had a feeling it would, because of the lying. I didn't care that he'd almost been married before, at least not enough to fight with him about that.

Running a hand through my hair, I knew I had to get out of here before I said something I regretted. I knew he would understand that. He knew, perhaps more than anyone, that I needed time to process so I didn't say things I didn't really mean. I hated doing that, but when my emotions were in control, I often said hurtful things. It was part of my self-defense, and an awful part, which is why I tried to avoid saying things until I had processed whatever happened. "I just remembered I have to go talk to Brie and Skye about something. I'll, uh, be home in a little while. I can get a ride from one of them," I made my excuses and bolted.

Despite my need for time to process, I knew Juan hated the feeling that I was running, because part of him feared he'd push me too hard and I wouldn't come back. That was why I'd said I'd see him in a while. I'd wanted him to know I wasn't leaving for good. I just needed to think. I was trying to convince myself that he had a good reason for not telling me about her, but I really couldn't figure out what that reason was. I had told him about every important relationship I'd had in the years we'd been apart. He'd been engaged to her. She HAD to have been important to him, at least at one point even if she wasn't anymore.

Of course, my insecurities were trying to fuck with my head. If she was his type, I definitely wasn't, so why did he pick me? Why marry me? Was this something he'd rushed into too soon and would regret later? I knew rationally that he loved me and he wanted to be with me, but there was always a fear in the back of my mind that he'd change his mind one day and I wouldn't be enough anymore. Everyone else had, so why wouldn't he? I really tried not to let that thought enter my head most of the time. Therapy had mostly convinced me that I was worth it, and the right person wouldn't leave. I knew he was my right person, but what if I wasn't his?

Thoughts like that were not going to help, I knew. I tried to push them out of my mind as I walked over to my old apartment. I didn't really want to have to discuss this with Brie and Skye yet, but I didn't have any other option, really. If I didn't go over, Juan would end up following me, because it wasn't safe right now. I knew he'd be worried if I went out for a walk on my own like I wanted. I rounded the fence that separated the two buildings and stopped in my tracks as I saw a familiar figure standing there, holding a bottle of Crown. I watched as he took a drink and started walking towards the building.

Unsure of what to do, but feeling my natural instincts to take care of people I care/once cared about, I warred with myself for a few moments before I walked over towards him. "You're not gonna find me in the apartment. My names still on it, but Brie and Skye have been living in it alone since I moved in with Juan almost a year ago," I was pretty sure he probably knew that, but I couldn't think of anything else to say. I probably should have turned around when I spotted him, let him go up to the apartment and have Brie and Skye let him sleep it off there without me having to see him, but I didn't. I knew my emotions were not in the right place for me to talk to him, but I found myself walking toward him anyway.

Spinning to face me, Matthew stumbled and I noticed most of the bottle was missing, and wondered how much he'd drunk, exactly. Matthew had as many issues as I did, or more, and he was very good at putting up walls to keep his emotions guarded. When he drank, though, he was definitely more open, flirtier, more honest. The voice in the back of my head was still telling me to turn around, but I didn't listen, though I couldn't explain exactly why I didn't then. "Kayak," was all he said (Long story, but it was his nickname for me.) as I finally got within reaching distance, and before I even realized what he was doing, he had pulled me closer and crashed his lips to mine.

For a brief few moments, I let him kiss me, even kissed him back, but then the thought of Juan, combined with the fact that kissing Matthew did nothing for me anymore, except remind me of how much better it was being with the other half of me, had me stepping back and breaking the contact, none too soon. I heard the running footsteps and barely glanced over my shoulder before Juan had tackled Matthew to the ground, punching him once they'd landed. Matthew tried to fight back, but he was drunk and Juan wasn't. "Shit," I murmured under my breath, looking over my shoulder to see if anyone had followed him, but saw no one.

Jumping out of the way so they didn't knock into me, I tried to yell at them to stop, turning more fully so I could head back to the garage, but then I saw Chibs and Jax, both standing and leaning against the fence. "Why are you just standing there? Do something!" I shouted, but Chibs said Juan needed to do this, and he'd step in if he needed to, and Jax nodded in agreement. I was not going to just stand here and let the two of them beat each other up though. I turned back to the fight, trying to get close enough to get between them without getting hurt.

Before I could do anything, arms wrapped around my waist and Chibs had lifted my feet off the ground, pulling me back. "He'll be fine. He wants me to get you out of here, though. Come on, lass," he tried to set me back down and lead me away, but I struggled against his grip, trying to get to my husband. Chibs wasn't letting me get away, though. He apparently was going to do what Juan wanted him to do, damned what I want. He hoisted me up and threw me over his shoulder, heading back to the garage. I watched the fight as he walked me away from it, and the last thing I saw before he rounded the fence was Matthew landing a hit to his jaw.

Throwing me into the back of an SUV, he closed the door before I could scramble out of it, and when I grabbed the handle, I realized the child lock was on. I leaned over and tried the door on the other side, but it was also child locked. I cursed under my breath, and was about to climb into the front seat when Chibs climbed in. He started the car and began pulling out of the lot before I could get into the front seat. I sat back, because even if I had been in the front seat, I wasn't jumping out of a moving car, and if we stopped at a light, I could have gotten out, but I didn't want Juan to worry about me if I took off.

Sighing, I felt the guilt settle onto me. I didn't really actively kiss Matthew back, but there were many things I could have done to prevent the kiss and I hadn't. I also had let it go on too long before I'd pulled away. I couldn't figure out why. I was trying to work it out in my head, but I couldn't figure myself out. I knew that I loved Juan. I knew I didn't want to be with Matthew anymore. I had no doubts about my feelings for my husband, or I wouldn't have married him, so why the hell had I let another man kiss me? It could be my tendency to self-sabotage. I tended to screw shit up because so often things went wrong for me, I felt more in control when they fucked up due to something I did. I didn't think that felt exactly right though.

When the car stopped, I looked up, noticing I was at home. I looked to Chibs, who was getting out, and then opened the door for me. I slowly got out of the car, and headed inside. I knew he wouldn't be leaving until Juan got here, and I didn't feel like saying anything to anyone except my husband, so I decided to go in and wait for him. I kept mulling over my reasoning, trying to figure it out, but I was no closer to answers when I heard my husband's bike pulling up a little while later.

While I'd been waiting, I'd gotten the first aid kit. I wanted to be able to take care of any injuries he had. I sat on the couch with the kit on the table in front of me as I heard the front door open and close and then waited for him to come find me. I couldn't stay seated when I saw him though. Not as bad as the last time he'd been beaten, but Matthew had gotten in some hits. Aside from bruising that was starting on his jaw, his lip was split and he had a cut on his eyebrow. I walked closer, my eyes filling with tears I wouldn't let fall because I'd been the cause of this, and I reached out, leaving my hand just a few inches from his face, waiting to see if he was going to let me touch him.

Leaning his face into my hand, he reached up and cupped my jaw, meeting my lips in a heated kiss. I was surprised, but I clutched him, pressing myself against him. I only pulled away because I knew this was not gonna solve anything. I didn't get a chance to speak before he started speaking though. "I should have told you about Chloe. I just never expected to see her again. I never wanted to. I was wrong to keep it from you. I'm sorry, angel," he said and suddenly the weight of his words had me sinking into my previous spot on the couch.

Holding up a finger to show I needed a minute, I tried to process this quickly. I realized he knew me better than I knew myself. I had allowed Matthew to kiss me, not out of any feelings for Matthew, but because I was hurt by what had just happened with Chloe. I had let Matthew kiss me to punish Juan. I hadn't even realized it at the time, but he had, and he accepted that, and even apologized for keeping her from me. How the hell had I ever gotten lucky enough to find him? "Don't apologize. You're right, about all of it. I shouldn't have let him kiss me. I just want you to know, that I have no feelings for him. It was purely reactive to meeting your ex-fiancee. I don't love him anymore, and I don't want anyone other than you," I assured him, reaching out to take his hand as he sat on the couch next to me.

From the relieved look in his eyes, I could tell that I knew how worried he'd been about that, even though he hadn't said anything. I realized it wasn't exactly how normal couples might have handled this situation, but who was to say what's normal and what isn't? It worked for us. We each reassured each other, and I knew we'd be able to move on from this. I did end up making a passing comment about how it didn't seem like I was his type, as I was cleaning the wounds on his face. "Krystal, don't you know? YOU are my type. Not any particular look. It's all you, only you," he said, then added, "I know you're worried, but don't want me to think you're worried for the wrong reasons, so I'll tell you. He'll be fine. I left him with Tara to clean his wounds, then Brie and Skye are going to let him stay there for the night and send him on his way in the morning." I was grateful to hear that, and glad he understood why I was worried, and sent him a smile before returning my attention to his wounds.

 **A/N:** _I hope you guys liked the chapter. Matthew's story apparently wasn't over yet, so here he is. Please review. I waited till today to update cuz I was hoping to get more reviews, but I decided to just post it anyway. Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews. I appreciate all of you._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	6. No More Secrets

Being smacked in the head with a pillow woke me up, and I realized my husband was no longer in bed and Brie and Skye were in my room. In the back of my mind, I noted the sheet was covering my nude body, so I carefully held it as I rolled from my stomach onto my back and sat up. "What the fuck were you thinking? You need to get your ass dressed and get to the kitchen. If you give us a good enough explanation, maybe we'll give you coffee," Brie said before she and Skye left me so I could dress.

Sighing, I realized she wouldn't know the whole story. Only what Chibs had seen. He and Jax had seen me kiss another man, even though I hadn't instigated it, and I'd pulled away, there had still been a few moments where I'd let it happen. I slowly got out of bed, taking a tee-shirt of Juan's and a pair of booty shorts and slipping both of them on before heading to the kitchen, stopping only to go to the bathroom so I could pee and splash some water on my face.

Upon entering the kitchen, I finally looked at a clock, noticing that it was just past 7 in the morning. I need to be at the hospital by 9, so I had time to deal with this and get there in time. I headed for my coffee pot, but Brie was standing in front of it, and I could tell she was going to make good on what she said, so I groaned and took a spot at my breakfast bar. "Juan had a fiancée that I didn't know about," I told them, unwilling to say anything more unless they gave me coffee.

After they'd shared a look, Brie slid me a mug of coffee that was already prepared the way I liked it. I took a sip of the still hot coffee as they both stood at the opposite side of the breakfast bar, waiting for the rest. I told them, letting them in on everything from the kidnapping to the conversation Juan and I had had when he got home. "You realize that's not normal, right? Krystal, you can't just go letting your ex kiss you to punish your husband for keeping a secret. I guess it worked for you, but you've gotta work through that shit in your head that makes you doubt yourself," Brie said when I finished. Skye nodded her agreement.

Yawning, I took another drink of coffee, but nodded and shrugged as I did. "I know that. I really do. I know the issue isn't completely dead, either. I still wanna know more about her, their relationship, but the kiss did do one thing. Any part of my mind that might have still been wondering if I was with the right person is completely gone. I guess I finally got that closure I was waiting for all those years, the confirmation that every single part of me is over Matthew. I wouldn't recommend what happened last night to anyone else, but the situation worked out alright in the end," I shrugged again.

Rolling her eyes, Skye shook her head, but chose not to comment on that situation anymore. "I can't believe you were kidnapped yesterday and didn't fucking tell us. Krystal Leann," she said in a no-nonsense tone that told me if I was going to be in trouble if I kept from sharing something like that again. I apologized and we continued analyzing yesterday for a while before I had to get ready and go to work. Because of the threat, we had to wait for one or two of the guys to escort us. I was driving Brie and Skye in my truck and Rat and a Prospect showed up to follow as I dropped each of them off and then went to the hospital.

Before Rat could ride off, I gestured for him to wait and got out of my truck, walking over to him. I could see that he was torn between knowing and caring for me, and his loyalty to his brother. I knew it would have to be up to Juan to really convince the guys, but I still would do my best to prove I was worth it. "Can you send my husband my way when he has a chance. I know he's looking for the other guy from yesterday, but tell him we need to talk," I requested, and he nodded before he took off, leaving me to make my way into the hospital.

By the time lunch rolled around, I hadn't heard from my husband about when I was going to see him. He'd told me that he was searching for the other attacker, but that was the only message I'd gotten from him. I found Tara in the cafeteria and sat next to her. "Everyone makes mistakes. I get that, but what the hell were you thinking last night?" she asked before I had a chance to say anything. "I thought I told you not to hurt him," she added and I sighed, remembering the first conversation we'd had about my relationship with Juan.

Running a hand through my hair, I opened my water and took a drink as I tried to figure out the right way to explain it. "Listen, it's not really going to make sense to anyone other than Juan and I. It was a stupid move, very stupid, but I am not looking to cheat on Juan or hurt him. I promise. We talked last night and we're fine," I assured her and she studied me for a minute before she nodded slowly. "What can you tell me about Chloe?" I asked before she could say anything else.

Regarding me for a few minutes, I could tell she was trying to figure out what happened last night from what she knew now. I also wondered where Chloe had disappeared to, since no one else seemed to know she'd been at the clubhouse last night. There had only been a few of us left there, because most of the guys had split as soon as they'd finished with church, but how did that blonde bitch get in and out with Juan and I being the only ones who really saw her? I needed to talk to my husband. I just hoped he got the chance to come see me at the hospital today.

Instead of prompting again, I started eating lunch while Tara decided what to say. "When all the shit was going down, with Roosevelt threatening to out the fact that Juice's dad is black, and the cartel and Miles shit, Chloe was there for him for a few years. I don't know for sure what he felt for her, but I could tell you even if he did love her, it wasn't anything compared to the way he loves you. I also know this: She's the one who asked him to marry her, and yes, he said yes, but obviously, he never went through with it. The morning of the wedding, he left her a note, took off for a month, and she moved out of town. He came back, and I've never heard him mention her again," she told me.

Biting on my lip, I considered all of that. I couldn't fault him for what had happened when he hadn't even remembered I existed. I still wanted an explanation for why he never told me she existed, and I did wanna hear what he had to say about her, but even if he had loved her, I'd been in love in the intervening years, and I didn't even have the excuse of forgetting him. I'd known he was out there, but at the time I'd thought it was an impossibility, and my heart had briefly allowed me to love someone else. I would have married Matthew, probably, if I could have. I couldn't blame him for finding someone else he would have married, too.

Logically, that all made sense. Emotions weren't always logical, though. I guess part of me was wondering if he'd kept her secret because he still loved her. If maybe she wanted to be with him again, and if he would want the same thing. I knew he told me that I was his type. He married me. He loved me. He wanted to be with me. I knew all of that, but still, I was thrown by his need to keep her secret. Secrets never boded well for me, from anyone, and I hated lies, even if they were lies of omission.

When I got finished with work, I headed out to my truck, calling Juan because I knew he wouldn't want me to leave on my own, so I wanted to check and see what I should do, but I found him sitting on the hood of it, leaning his back against my windshield. He pushed to his feet, still on my truck, when he saw me, and then jumped down, landing on the ground in front of me. He had shades on, and mine were protectively on as well. I wore sunglasses at least 50% of the time, so people couldn't see the emotion in my eyes.

Taking off his own, he tucked them into the pocket of his cut, and then he pushed mine off my face, up into my hair, so he could look into my eyes. His hands went to my waist and he leaned in to give me a kiss, but I leaned back, silently waiting for him to explain, unwilling to be thrown off track by anything else. He sighed. "I thought I loved her. I think I loved the attention. She stuck around. She was there when things got difficult. She understood the life, even though I never let her in all the way. It was easy with her I think I said yes because I didn't believe anyone else would stick around, but even though I couldn't remember you, part of me knew there was someone better out there. I couldn't do it," he paused.

Reaching up, he cupped my face, and I let him, but still turned my head to the side when he tried to kiss me. I was trying to process. "She's the person I might have been able to live with, but you're the person I can't live without. I know that, have known it from the moment you came into my life. Both times," he paused, searching for words again. "She was my Brooke, but you're my Peyton," he said, and I couldn't help but smile. I appreciated the analogy, because he knew how much I loved One Tree Hill, and I'd always believed Peyton and Lucas were meant to be, even if he had some good moments with Brooke. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, angel. There were no other long-term relationships for me. I promise you that," he attempted to kiss me again.

It was the apology and promise that did it. I knew he was sincere, and I knew he was being honest. I'd always been able to tell when he was lying to me directly. Secrets weren't as easy to detect, but directly lying to my face was something he'd never been able to do. I snaked my arms around his neck and kissed him, trying to be gentle with his split lip and bruised jaw, but I wasn't always able to control myself with my husband. "I love you, Ace. We're fine. Take me home," I said when I pulled back, noticing that he'd backed me up against my truck, and I was sitting on the hood, my legs wrapped around his waist. I wanted to be able to finish what we'd just started, in the comfort of our home. He didn't need to be asked twice. He helped me off the hood, then behind the wheel of my truck, and he followed me home on his bike.

 **A/N:** _Here's chapter 6. I hope y'all like it. I don't have much more to say, although, I think the next chapter will be dealing with getting Chloe and Matthew out of town. They should be gone for good after that, but I dunno, because sometimes characters come back without my planning on it. Anyway, please review!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	7. Shots Fired

(Juan's POV)

Except for that brief exchange with Chloe when she'd first arrived, I hadn't seen her. I'd had my wife to focus on, and finding the other Irishman who'd kidnapped her. I also had had to deal with the Matthew debacle. I planned on getting that situation completely handled today. If she wanted to see him, I'd let her, but one way or another, I was getting him out of town. I was tired of him trying to come between my wife and I. I may have forgiven her for letting him kiss her, because I understood why she did it, even if she hadn't at the time. I had gotten back at him for kissing my wife, but I was done putting up with him. He needed to stay gone, now.

As for Chloe, she wasn't on my radar yet. I'd deal with whatever she wanted once I got other things taken care of. I would probably let Krystal decide what action was best, depending on what Chloe wanted. I had nothing I wanted to say to her. I couldn't understand why she'd chosen now to come back. If she wanted something from me, she wasn't going to get it. I know it had hurt her to realize I wasn't in love with her the way she had been with me, but by the time I'd realized that it had been almost too late. I never should have said yes to her when she asked me to marry her, but at least I'd realized the truth before actually marrying her.

Waking up to my wife was always the best part of my day. It really set the mood for my whole day, actually. If I didn't get to wake up and find her next to me, I found my temper was often easily triggered, and I was irritable for most of the day. If I woke up smelling her, with her wrapped in my arms, or at least close enough so I could roll over and pull her into me, my day just seemed to go a whole lot better. I was in a better mood, and that just seemed to make every moment afterward better, and that was whether or not we had morning sex, which we usually did, but I knew it wasn't the sex, but simply her that made everything better for me. The sex was just a bonus.

Honestly, I'd meant what I'd told her when I said she was my type. She wasn't tall or blonde or willowy. She preferred her hair dark. She was short, though she was always adamant about being average height, which I thought was cute as hell. She had curves; an amazing ass and fantastic rack. I knew she thought both were too big, but I thought she was perfect as is. None of that was why she was right for me though. She was my best friend. I held her and everything felt like it would be okay. I could tell her anything, talk to her about anything, the things I'd done, mistakes I'd made, and she still accepted me, still looked at me with loving adoration. I didn't have to worry that she'd find something out and turn heel and run screaming.

With Chloe, she had an idea of what the life was. She had been a Cro Eater for years before we'd even started fucking. I didn't tell her about most things I did though. I didn't let her in that way. Jax had once told me that you either told your Old Lady everything, or nothing, otherwise it wouldn't work. There was no other way. I hadn't been able to tell Chloe everything, even though that hadn't been the reason it hadn't worked. I was completely the opposite with Krystal, though. I couldn't keep anything from her. Keeping my previous engagement from her hadn't really been intentional. I hadn't thought about Chloe in ages, and even if I had, I never thought Krystal would meet her, but I'd known she'd be upset to hear about her.

Trust was the one thing we had that I'd never had with anyone else. We trusted each other with anything and everything. I knew the guys were a bit prickly because she'd kissed Matthew, but she told me she didn't want him and I believed her. I had known as soon as she walked away from Chloe and I that she was reeling. I knew she was trying to process, and I knew a part of her had felt jealous and insecure. I realized that before she did, and that's why when I abandoned Chloe in the hallway, and followed Krystal to find her kissing Matthew, I knew why she'd done it. I'd understood. I'd hurt her by keeping Chloe from her, perhaps worse than she'd been hurt when Ima had shown up saying she was pregnant with my kid.

Just as I'd understood her feelings, she always understood what I needed from her, how I was feeling, sometimes before I did. We'd always been that way with each other. I knew that now that we'd talked it all out, we'd be able to move past it, as we got through everything. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her, and she would do anything I needed her to do, sometimes without me knowing to ask. It wasn't a question of if we'd be able to get through a problem. Failure wasn't an option. The only question would ever be how and when we got through anything life threw at us.

Instead of waking her immediately, I just watched her. She almost always slept on her stomach, and she was laying that way now, her face turned toward me, so I could see the peacefulness on her face. It had taken some time after Opie's death, but I was relieved she was sleeping normally again. I'd been worried. I started tracing the many tattoos on her back with my fingertips, watching as her eyelids fluttered and she slowly woke up. She smiled without opening her eyes, reaching out to drape her arm over my chest and her leg over my hip, pulling herself closer. "Jesus fuck, sex fiend. An all-nighter and you still want to go again?" she murmured.

Despite her words, her hips rolled, rubbing her sex against my cock, and she placed a kiss on my chest. "All I did was trace the tattoos on your back. _You're_ the one who's bringing up sex already," I told her, and she shrugged, snuggling closer to me. My fingertips kept moving on her back and she finally opened her eyes, her brows raising in a silent challenge due to my words. I'd implied that I wasn't thinking about sex, and I knew she was seeing it as a personal challenge to prove me wrong.

Moving so she was straddling my waist, she leaned down, meeting my lips in a sweet kiss, while she shimmied her hips, rubbing her already wet sex against my cock that was indeed getting harder by the minute. She trailed her nails down my chest as she pulled back far enough to smirk at me. "You're not thinking about sex?" she asked, an innocent tone to her voice that was the complete opposite of the seductive, sensual, lust-filled look in her bright green eyes.

Reaching up to hold onto her, I rolled us quickly, so before she could do anything, she was on her back and I was settled between her legs, resting on my forearms to keep my weight off her, but letting our bodies touch all the way down. "I didn't say I wasn't thinking about sex. I said you're the one bringing it up, which you did," I said, shifting my hips so my cock rubbed against her, illustrating the double meaning of my words. She rolled her eyes, but wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into another kiss as she wrapped her legs around my waist, drawing me closer.

An hour later, we were still in bed, spooning. She didn't have any appointments until the afternoon, and I didn't have to be anywhere for a while. She had fallen back to sleep, and I was starting to drift off, too, when my phone went off. I reached over to the nightstand carefully so I didn't wake her, and looked at the screen. It was a notification. My search for the other attacker had turned up something. I pulled my arm out from under her and slowly slid out of bed, but she woke up anyway, regarding me with sleepy eyes as I started getting dressed. "I got a lead on my search. Found who the bike belongs to. Hopefully we can find the guy, too. I'll see you later, angel. Be safe today. I love you," I bent to give her a kiss after I was dressed.

Reaching up, she grabbed my hand as I headed for the door. I turned to look into her concerned gaze. "I love you back, ace. You better be safe, too," she said and I nodded, dropping another kiss, this time on her forehead, and promised I would be fine before I left the room. I called Rat to ask him to come by to escort her to work, and then called Jax to let him know what I'd found out. He said he'd get a couple of the guys and meet me at the address I'd gotten, so that was where I went. I didn't know how long it was going to take the guys to get here, but I saw the same bike that had been fleeing the scene parked in the driveway. I looked through the garage window to see there were no other vehicles, so it was a safe bet that no one else was home.

Still, I should have waited for Jax and whoever was coming with him. I didn't have the patience, though. I knew better, but I decided to handle it on my own. I drew my gun, creeped up to the front living room window. I peeked in, but only saw one guy, watching the television, so I walked back over to the front door, cautiously trying the knob. It turned and I slowly eased the door open. I closed it behind myself as quietly as possible, even though the TV was pretty loud and I was fairly sure he couldn't hear me.

As I creeped silently into the living room, my gun drawn and aimed at him. "Are you the Irish bastard who attacked my wife?" I asked when I was a few feet away. I studied his face as he jumped, because I'd startled him, then he looked at me, and for a moment, I saw recognition set in, then fear, before he schooled his expression. I knew everything I needed to know when he leapt to his feet, threw the TV remote at me, because it'd been in his hand, and tried to bolt from the room.

After I dodged the remote, I got off a shot that hit him in the foot and he stumbled into a desk. I saw a flash across the front lawn and was momentarily distracted, but when I turned my head it was only a squirrel. I shouldn't have looked away, though, because the guy slid open a drawer and next thing I knew there was a gunshot and I felt the bullet slice through my right thigh. I fell, but didn't drop my gun, so I aimed and shot him multiple times in the head and chest before he could get another shot or get away. I cursed as I tried to figure out what I was going to do now, but then I heard bikes approaching finally and just waited for them to come in.

 **A/N:** _I didn't have this planned, to be honest. This or the last chapter. I've had most of the rest of this series outlined in my head for a while now, but some of these story lines are just itching to be written in. I have no choice but to comply with the characters. I hope you enjoy and thank you to everyone who reads, and especially thank you to my loyal reviewer! I appreciate it so much! Every time I read a review from you I smile, so thank you. =]_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	8. Worries and Fears

Something didn't feel right to me as I was getting ready and heading to the hospital. Rat escorted me, as Juan had instructed him to do, but I couldn't stop worrying about what was going on with my husband, if he'd found my other attacker or not. I asked Rat to let me know as soon as he knew what happened, and he said he would, since he was set to stay at the hospital today anyway, since both Tara and I were working today. Jax wanted one of the guys here, and Rat was the one he'd picked.

Halfway through my first appointment the bad feeling only got worse. I hadn't been puking in the past week, with or without smoking, but as soon as I finished that first appointment and went back to my office, I had to run to my bathroom and puke. I was still on my knees in front of the toilet when I heard my office door open. "Krystal? Hey where are-" Tara cut off in the middle of her question as she realized I was in the bathroom, and she came in, getting some paper towels and getting them wet before handing them to me.

Thanking her, I took them, wiping the back of my neck, and my face before wiping my mouth. I turned to look at her, noticing the look on her face, and my stomach revolted again, causing me to dry heave, because I'd already thrown up anything I'd eaten today. She leaned against the sink and stroked my hair as I waited out the dry heaves, then turned to look at her again. "What happened? What do you know?" I asked her without getting up, just in case. I thought it was a good idea to stay next to the toilet until she said whatever she had to say.

Looking upset that she had to be the one to tell me this, she hesitated for a brief moment, but I just waited, knowing that she'd need no further prompting from me. "He was shot. Jax is taking him to the clubhouse right now, but that's all he said. He wanted me to get you, and have Rat escort us there. You want me to drive?" she offered, holding out her hand to help me up. I just nodded, unable to speak as all kinds of horrible possibilities ran through my mind. I took her hand and let her help me up, then followed her to the cutlass, getting in the passenger side.

The seconds seemed to drag on as she drove to the clubhouse. I just wanted to see my husband, wanted to know he was okay. I needed to kiss him, to hold him. I felt a breakdown coming, but I knew I could hold it back until I saw him. I knew if I saw that he was okay, or at least not too badly injured, I would be able to keep from freaking out, but until then, I was barely holding myself together. I was out of the car as soon as she pulled into a parking space, before she'd even put it in park. I held my arms wrapped around myself as I hurried into the clubhouse.

Looking around as I burst through the doors without breaking stride, I saw the doors to the chapel open, my husband on the table in there, with a few of the guys around him. I didn't even register who was there, my eyes were solely on my husband and I was no longer walking quickly, but broke into a run. I pushed past Jax and looked my husband up and down. It seemed like the only wound he had was a gunshot in the thigh, and I stroked his head, tracing his tattoos as I looked into his eyes. I could tell they'd already given him a pain killer. "I thought I told you to be careful, asshole," I said, my eyes filling with tears that I wouldn't let fall. I think my emotions were welling because I was so relieved it wasn't worse.

Reaching out, he took my hand, lacing our fingers together. "Where's the fun in that?" he teased, trying to calm me down more. He didn't say anything about me calling him an asshole because he knew me well enough to know that I didn't mean it seriously. I rolled my eyes at him, but laughed, which had been his intention. I bent down to kiss his forehead before I moved down to examine his leg. Tara had already made her way into the room, and she'd cut his pants out of the way. Chibs was also in the room, but Jax and Tig, who'd also been around, had both left us to take care of him.

Without my needing to ask, Tara told me that the slug was still in his leg, but it wasn't very deep, so once we removed it, we'd be able to stitch it up. I slipped on some gloves and started helping her. I let her remove the slug, and then I stitched his leg and bandaged it. I realized I hadn't done anything yet about my appointments, so I asked Chibs to take Juan home in the van, and since Tara was going back to the hospital, I'd ride with her, and then I could rearrange some things in my schedule and drive my truck home after that. Rat was following Tara and I back to the hospital again.

Sighing, I slumped into the passenger seat of her cutlass and leaned my head against the cool glass as she got in and started driving. She reached over and gently squeezed my hand. "Hey, it'll be okay. It wasn't that bad. He'll heal pretty quickly and be back to normal before you know it," she assumed I was worried about his recovery, but that was a fair assumption actually. I knew that he was going to be okay though. I had enough schooling to know what was and what wasn't a bad gunshot wound. He'd be back up and around in a few weeks at most.

Honestly, my mind was just running through the danger I'd put him in, once again. I guess he would have been risking himself if it had been any of the other old ladies, too, but still. I hated that there was so much risk with the club. I'd never ask him to give it up. I just wished I could protect him, in a similar way that he wanted to protect me all the time. I hated seeing him get hurt, hated him being in pain. I wished I could take away anything that put him in danger or hurt him, but that was my issue, not his. I was protective over everyone I loved, but I knew I couldn't control everything. "I know. Thank you," is what I chose to say.

After rescheduling my appointments, I got in my truck and headed for home. The van was still there, so I waved at Rat as he headed back to the hospital so he could watch over Tara and escort her home when she was finished. I went inside and waved at Chibs, who left as I went upstairs to the bedroom to find my husband. He was in bed, apparently asleep, so I crawled in with him, carefully crawling over and lying next to his left side and resting my head on his chest as I snuggled into his side.

Apparently, he wasn't asleep completely. His arms tightened around me and he reached up to start playing with my hair. "I'm sorry, angel. I guess being safe isn't something I'm the best at doing," he murmured, and I could tell he was high on the painkillers. I breathed him in, trying to be thankful that it wasn't worse. This time. I didn't know what I'd do if there was a next time. Although, it was more than likely when, not if. I knew the guys were trying to get clear of the things killing them, but it still worried me that I'd lose my husband before there was a chance.

Due to my hormones, I started crying before I was able to stop myself, and I felt him blow out a sigh. I took in a deep shaky breath and let it out slowly. "I can't lose you, Juan. You know that. I want to protect you, too. I know I can't, but you know I'd do anything to keep you safe. It's not even just because I love you. You're my other half. What hurts you, hurts me. It's as much self-preservation as anything," I sighed. "I understand the demands of the club though, and I understand there are going to be times when you get hurt. I need you to be happy, and this club, your family-our family, actually-makes you happy. So I will deal with worrying about you when I have to," I said, stretching up to give him a kiss.

For a moment, he didn't say anything, just stared at me. I cocked an eyebrow, asking silently what it was he was thinking. I knew he'd hear my unspoken question, so I didn't say anything. "I've said it before. I'll say it again. I'm damned lucky to have you," he said and I laughed. "Hey, I'm serious. I can't lose you either, Krystal. My reaction to you being in danger is different than it used to be. It's a club reaction, I admit that. But that's who I am now. I need you to be safe, and I need everyone else to know that if they hurt you or threaten to hurt you, they're going to have to pay for that. I can't risk losing you. I live, I breathe for you. I know you worry about me, but I'm a hard person to kill. Self-preservation is a reason I keep you safe, too," he was high, but I could tell how serious he was.

His words shifted my point of view a bit, though. His reactions were club related now, and always would be. I hadn't really thought of it that way. He wasn't intentionally putting himself at risk just to hurt the people who hurt me. That just happened to be an outcome. He was just reacting to things differently now. His reaction was to seek revenge now, not just let it go and let me deal with things. He simply didn't think about the risk to himself, thinking only of what happened to me and how he could make it right. That part hadn't changed. The danger of the enemies he fought for me had, but that was more of a result of who he was now than me.

Running my own fingers through my hair, I smiled, nodding and giving him another kiss. There was something to be said about finding the other half of yourself. I didn't have to explain everything that went on in my head to him. I knew instinctively how he was feeling most of the time. We each knew what we needed from each other to make things work. Sometimes it took us some time to work it out, figure out the right way to play things, but we always seemed to manage. I knew we always would. We'd both grown up since the first time around. We'd matured and we knew the proper way to deal with things, individually and as a couple.

The twins drew my attention to the fact that I'd thrown up the only food I'd eaten today, so I got out of bed, stripping and then looking through our dresser. I found a black tank top with the reaper on it and paired that with lime green basketball shorts, for comfort, and then went to the kitchen to make us dinner. It had been a long week, and I knew we still had to deal with both Chloe and Matthew, but now wasn't the time for either. It was time for me to eat dinner with my husband, then cuddle and watch TV until we went to sleep.

 **A/N:** _Thank you to those of you who read and reviewed the last chapter. It was much appreciated. I've almost got names and sexes picked out for the twins, but if y'all have any suggestions, feel free to let me know and I'll make sure to give you credit. I really hope y'all like this chapter. Please let me know what you think!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	9. Dealing With The Exes

A text message woke me up. I hadn't turned my phone on vibrate last night, so I was able to tell it was my phone and not Juan's that went off. I reached out to the nightstand on my side of the bed and grabbed at it squinting at the screen and waiting for my eyes to adjust to the brightness. I saw that it was a text from Brie, giving me a heads up that Matthew was refusing to leave town until he saw me. I hadn't even realized he was still in town, but I knew I'd have to see him, give him closure. I hated that for years I hadn't felt any closure, and I didn't want to do the same thing to him. I texted her, giving her a time and place to tell him so that I could meet him. I told her to make sure he knew Juan would most likely be with me.

Setting my phone aside, I rolled to face my husband. I'd given us an hour to get ready and so we could meet Matthew, and I planned on making the most of it. I hooked my leg over his hip and then moved so I was straddling his waist, rubbing my already wet sex against his morning wood. It still amazed me how easily I could get wet and ready for him. I'd never been as constantly horny as I was with my husband. I didn't think there was anything he could do that I didn't find sexy, from the most normal things like taking a drink of water, or smoking a cigarette, to things that he did intentionally to be sexy. He just screamed S-E-X to me, and I was glad he seemed to feel the same way about me.

Reaching for his painkiller, I shook a couple into my palm and handed them over as he was waking up. There was already a glass of water on his nightstand, so I handed that to him once he'd tossed the pills in his mouth. I knew he wouldn't be able to take control as he usually did, so I did that, bringing us both to orgasm a handful of times before we had to get up and get dressed. "So, I thought you'd want to come with me when I see Matthew," I said as I was getting dressed, wearing a pair of lime green leggings with a black sweater dress. "I also would like to be with you whenever you talk to Chloe. I trust you, but I want to make sure she knows you're mine," I added, turning to look at him.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a pair of camo pants and a white tee-shirt, he smiled at me and opened his arms so I could step between his legs and perch lightly on his left leg, so I could look into his eyes instead of looking down at him. "You're right. I want to be there when you go see Matthew. I'll stay with you today while you're at the hospital, since I can't ride at the moment anyway, and we're not sure what the blow back is going to be from taking out that Irishman. I'll let Chloe know we'll talk to her later. She'd be an absolute idiot if she doesn't see that I am yours and only yours," he said, patting my ass so I'd get back up.

Standing, I helped him up and helped him downstairs, then out to my truck. I'd told Brie to tell Matthew to meet us at the diner, so we could eat there. I drove us there, and helped him inside, leading him over to the booth where Matthew was already sitting. He didn't look happy that Juan was there, but he seemed to accept that. The waitress came and we ordered. I waited until after we'd eaten-mostly in silence-before I removed my sunglasses and stared at Matthew. "You told me you wanted me to be happy, even if it wasn't with you. Did you mean that, or not? What are you doing here, Matthew? Why are you showing up, drunk, and kissing me?" I jumped straight to the point.

Sighing, he glanced at Juan again, but I gripped my husband's hand on top of the table, so Matthew would realize that he wasn't going anywhere. Juan's presence wouldn't change my answer to Matthew, no matter what Matthew had to say. "I was wrong. I thought I could just let you go. And I don't know if that's possible. I've been trying the past three months, and I can't. Don't you remember what we had? I made you happy before. I can make you happy again. Give me another chance, Krystal. I fucked up once, and I'm so sorry. I did what I told Weston I'd never do. I wouldn't fuck up again," he said, reaching out to take my other hand, but I pulled it out of his reach.

Rolling my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose with the hand that Matthew had reached for, and squeeze Juan's hand with the other, which was still clutching his. "I hate doing this, being so brutally honest when I know it's going to hurt someone I used to love, but you've given me no other choice at this point. I'm not ever going to be with you again. Yes, you fucked up, and you lost your chance. It's gone now. I am married. I am pregnant. Juan and I are starting a family, and I am not giving that up for anyone," I saw his intake of breath upon hearing I was pregnant, but I had to lay it all out there. Give him the closure he'd never given me.

Shaking my head, I ran a hand through my hair before I continued. "You wanna know the difference between me and you. I did love you. I told you I'd let you be happy with anyone else, and I stuck to that. It killed me, but I left you alone, because I did truly love you, and I honestly wanted you happy. Whereas, you, you only seem to want me now that I'm with someone else. There were years when I was single and you were off dating other people, and you didn't give a shit about me or who I was happy with or without. You don't want me happy, Matthew, you want me with you, or with no one else. And I'm not playing that game," I pulled out my wallet and dropped a tip on the table, since Juan was paying for the food we'd eaten.

Standing, I helped my husband up, pausing to look back at a man I'd once seen a future with. "We're not going to be friends. I'm not going to see you again. I'm not going to do this stressful shit anymore. You know, Juan and I may have had years apart, but that's never been a real choice of one of ours. We were separated due to amnesia that neither of us had control over. When it comes right down to it, we _always_ choose to be together, over anything and everything else. Why would I choose someone who doesn't make me a priority, when I've already got someone who proves to me I'm his world, and knows I feel the same way about him? I hope you find someone one day, and can be as happy as I am. You need to let go of this idea that it's me. Goodbye, Matthew," I slid my sunglasses back on my face and then helped my husband out of the diner.

A little while later, he was lounging on the couch in my office, and I was playing on my phone while waiting for my next appointment. I was actually setting up new Facebook account. I was tired of him having one and not having one myself. I wanted to be able to post cute pictures of us, and the babies when they came along. I spent at least twenty minutes blocking my family members, since they were the reason I'd deleted the account in the first place, and had debated for a bit before blocking Crystal too. Even with those precautions, I'd still listed my name as Krystal Ortiz, leaving off my middle and maiden names, just to throw off anyone who might be looking for the old me.

After sending Juan a relationship request, I started searching through his profile. I'd already chosen a picture of the two of us sharing our first kiss as husband and wife for my profile picture, and I'd picked one of the wedding pictures-which I still had to get printed-that showed him holding me bridal style, the water and sunset behind us, my head thrown back in a laugh and my arms wrapped tightly around his neck, for my cover photo. I was searching through old stuff on his profile, found his relationship with Chloe a few years back and was frowning at posts she'd made when his voice broke through my thoughts. "What are you glaring at your phone for, angel of mine?" he asked.

Lifting my gaze to his, I found annoyance melting away. It didn't matter either of our pasts. We were here now, and that was what mattered. What I'd said to Matthew held true. We always chose each other, put each other first. When we were together, we were committed to our love and that was something that had never changed. I had faith neither of us would throw that away. I stood, walking over to lay on the couch next to my husband, curling up next to him and resting my head on his chest. I snapped a picture of us laying together, and then started posing, making silly faces, kissing his cheek, other random things while snapping pictures, and then posted them all with a status saying how much I loved my husband. "Everything's perfect, ace," I told him as I set my phone aside, curling up into his side so we could cuddle until my next appointment arrived.

After I'd finished work for the day, we headed to the clubhouse. Juan had told Chloe she could stop by whenever she wanted, since we'd be there all evening. The IRA kings had called and wanted to speak to all the guys tonight while they were in church. None of the guys were willing to leave their women alone, so they were all there, too. We had a pretty full clubhouse tonight, so most of us were enjoying it. The guys had about twenty minutes before they went into church when Chloe showed up.

Standing between Juan's legs as he sat on a barstool, I had my back to his chest and he had one hand resting on my bump, with both my hands on top of it, and his other hand rested on top of mine when he wasn't taking a drink of the beer he had sitting next to him on the bar. Brie and Skye were standing next to us, and I'd just told them about the exchange with Matthew when the tall slender blonde walked up. I sent them a look and they walked away, but I didn't move from my spot. She waited a moment, sending Juan a look, but his grip on me didn't loosen in the slightest. "I guess I want to know why. Why did you wait till our wedding day to tell me, through a text message, that you couldn't marry me?" she finally asked.

Taking the hand that was on top of mine, he picked up his beer and took a drink as he thought of how to answer. "I am going to be brutally honest, Chloe. This will likely hurt you, and I'm sorry, but you've got to realize the truth. I was never in love with you. I was comfortable with you. I may have cared for you deeply, but I wasn't in love with you. I stayed with you because you stuck around. You knew what this life was like, and you loved me. I know you did, but I never felt the same way. I didn't think I had any other choices. You were there for me in a time I desperately needed someone, anyone. I didn't need you. You were just there. I was horrible at being alone. I had a self-destructive tendency to give into my depression when I was alone, and you were there to keep me company. That's why I said yes. I realized that even though you were keeping me company, you weren't what I was looking for. I didn't know what it was yet. I couldn't remember Krystal existed, much less that I was in love with her, but I was looking for her. And I am very glad I didn't marry you. We never would have worked," he told her.

Before she could respond, my attention was taken by Jax, who was asking about a green pen that had been sitting on the bar. I shook my head when he asked if I knew where it came from. Chuckie said that it came when the beer was delivered, but that only made Jax ask who had ordered beer. Chuckie suggested Gemma, but that was when Chloe spoke up. "I was here all morning, helping Gemma inventory and place orders, and she did not order any beer," she said, and Jax looked at Juan for a moment, and his eyes widened before he yelled that everyone needed to get out. People began running, I helped my husband. Jax went for Tara and their kids. I had no idea if everyone had gotten out or not before the whole clubhouse blew up in a huge explosion.

 **A/N:** _I know. I'm horrible for leaving this a cliffhanger, but hopefully that will inspire you guys to leave reviews, yes? I might be more inclined to post before Sunday if I get enough reviews. *hint hint* So, I've actually got this part almost completely written. It's gonna be 21 chapters, I believe. Then part five will be the end of the story, although, I've already got a companion piece to this series in mind. It's going to be basically a behind the scenes kinda thing, for the whole series, with moments that either happened in the fics, but from different characters POV's, or moments that happened in the time jump that's going to take place between this part and part 5 (it'll be about a 9 year time jump). I am completely open to any suggestions of scenes you want written, cuz chances are it'll be a scene that I'll have fun writing. Anyway, I guess I am getting ahead of myself cuz I have more than half this part to get posted, and all of part 5 to get written and posted before I can start posting the companion part. I hope you like this chapter! Please review! Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	10. The Aftermath

(Juan's POV)

As soon as the bomb went off, Krystal stumbled and tripped with the force of the explosion. I threw my body over hers to shield her. It had been so chaotic, I had no idea if everyone had gotten out or not. My leg was throbbing from the way it'd hit the ground when I'd thrown myself on my wife, but that was the least of my worries. I rolled off her after all the debris had stopped flying, checking to make sure she was okay. "Angel, are you alright?" I asked, looking her body over even as I saw her moving and flexing muscles and limbs to check and see that they were okay.

When she rolled her ankles around to check them, I saw the wince, she looked down at her left ankle. "I think I twisted it when I tripped, but it doesn't feel too bad," she stood, testing it, and the grimace on her face told me it was bothering her, but she could deal with it. She reached her hand out to me to help me up. "What about you, Ace? Are you hurt? More than you already were, I mean," she added wryly. I accepted her help up and quickly assessed, then shook my head.

Once she knew I was okay, she started looking around, standing on her tiptoes. I knew she was doing a mental inventory, looking at everyone gathered, trying to see if anyone was missing. I started doing the same thing, and after a moment noticed Nero, looking around, frantically calling Gemma's name. I started looking for her, but I didn't see our matriarch anywhere. "Shit," I murmured. She looked at me, then noticed Nero looking for Gemma as well, I could see the moment when the reality that Gemma was missing and what that could mean hit her. She clutched at her mouth. I knew she was holding back a wave of nausea.

Five minutes later, we'd all come to the conclusion; there was only one place that none of us could look for her. My wife couldn't control her nausea anymore, leaning over to vomit in a trash can. I rubbed her back, feeling sick myself, but since I wasn't pregnant, I managed it without vomiting. Gemma was the only one missing, and Tara was holding Jax tightly. Nero was sitting with his head in his hands. I sat down on the concrete, watching our clubhouse go up in flames as the firemen finally started arriving to put out the inferno. Krystal sat beside me, wrapping her arms around me. I leaned into her and buried my face into her chest. I wasn't aware I started crying, but soon I noticed her shirt was wet with my tears.

This was getting to be too much. First Opie, and now Gemma? They'd destroyed our clubhouse, torn apart our family. There would be no doubts now. We were ending our relationship with the IRA; we'd just have to figure out the smartest way to do it, and get our revenge, without losing more lives. I felt my wife shuddering with suppressed sobs even as she comforted me, and I was proud of how far she'd come. I knew it had been a rocky start with her and Gemma, but they'd gotten close while planning the wedding together, and I knew she was hurting over this, too, so I wrapped my arms around her waist and rubbed her back as she continued to hold me.

Without my noticing, Brie and Skye both came over, sitting on either side of Krystal. I looked around and saw that almost everyone else had gathered in a kind of half circle, watching as the firefighters tried to save what they could of our clubhouse. Some of the guys were holding tight to their Old Ladies; some, like Nero, were just crouched on the ground, or sprawled out, taking in the destruction on their own. Some were openly crying, while others were trying to hide their tears, and others still seemed to be in shock and unable to cry. I looked up at my wife, noticing she'd stopped her tears, and I realized then that she had already cried as much as she would allow herself to. She hated crying, even when she had good reason, and she tried her best to be the strong one.

While I was staring at my wife, who was lost in thought as she stared at the fire, Chloe approached us. I eyed her warily, and Krystal moved only her gaze, which made me realize she was more aware of our surroundings than I'd thought. The blonde daintily sat on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest and looking at me. "I'm sorry this happened," she gestured to the building that was starting to emerge from the flames as the charred remains of what it used to be. I didn't say anything, and neither did my angel. "I'll be leaving tomorrow. I guess the reason I really came is because the guy I've been seeing asked me to marry him. I've been so confused about what happened with us, that I didn't know what to say," she paused, pursing her lips thoughtfully.

Still, neither Krystal nor I said a word. I wasn't sure where she was going with this, but I'd already said everything I'd needed to say to her. "I guess I'm still not sure I understand exactly, but I can see now how happy you are, and that everything worked out for the best. You never looked at me the way you looked at her. And I don't think I ever saw you as happy as you are now, even with everything that's going wrong. I just want you happy, Juice, and now that I know you are, I think I can finally let the past go and let myself be as well," she smiled, then looked at my wife. "Take good care of him," she said to her before she stood and walked away.

Tightening her grip on me for a few moments, I heard Krystal murmur, "I will," more to herself than anyone else as the blonde walked away. I gripped her tighter, too, tilting my head back to capture her mouth. It was probably the wrong moment, but it brought us both comfort, I knew, and when I broke the kiss, I shifted our positions so I was no longer sitting between her legs as she held me, and pulled her over, draping her legs over my lap and letting her rest her head on my chest so I could rest my cheek on her temple. She had her arms wrapped around my neck and hands linked, but Brie shifted her position, too, scooting over and resting her head on Krystal's shoulder, and Skye was on the other side, placing a comforting hand on Krystal's thigh as her other hand grasped Wendy's and they had their heads leaning against each other. Chibs moved as well, staying close to Brie with an arm wrapped around her back.

It was hours later, past 3 in the morning, by the time the firefighters left, and we all decided to finally go to our homes, and the guys would come back in the morning to assess damage and see what we could salvage. Jax had already placed a call to Jacob Hale to see what kind of property we could get from him to use as our headquarters until our clubhouse was rebuilt. I could tell my wife was dead tired, but I also knew she wouldn't be able to sleep when we got home, so when we were in her truck and she started driving, I asked her to drive somewhere else. "Let's go to that hill that you took me to the first day we had sex," I suggested.

Cocking an eyebrow at me in silent question, she headed towards the hill instead of heading for home. I didn't need her to speak the question. "You're not going to sleep anyway. Let's go there. We can smoke, lay under the stars, just hold each other for a few hours until you have to go to work and I have to go meet with the guys. It's our place. I want to hold you and do some healing, draw some strength from each other before we both have to deal with life today," I said and she considered this, reaching out to take my hand and squeeze it while she told me that sounded perfect.

As we lay beneath the stars, I tried to wrap my mind around the fact that Gemma was gone. I couldn't picture things without her. She was the matriarch of our club. So many things she took care of would fall apart now. I felt awful for Jax, who was going to be dealing with losing his mother. I couldn't imagine. I wasn't close to my mother anymore, but I would still be wrecked if I found out she'd died. I decided to go see her soon. Hell, Gemma wasn't even my birth mother, but the whole club had looked to her like a mother figure. I couldn't believe she was gone. I felt awful for Nero too. As horrible as losing a mother was, I would lose everything if I lost Krystal. She was my world, and I only hoped neither of us had to lose the other for any reason again.

Absently drawing designs on my chest as she rested her cheek on it, I knew she was as lost in disturbing thoughts as I was. She placed a kiss on my chest, then turned her amazing green eyes on me, eyes that held so much pain from the past, but still managed to hold so much love for me it hit me like a punch in the gut every time I looked into them. "Whatever you do, whatever happens now, I need you to be safe. I need you to come home to me, to our babies. I've been trying to picture what it'd be like to be Nero, to lose the love of my life, and I can't. I can lose anyone. I _have_ lost almost everyone. I can't lose you, though. I wouldn't survive that. I can survive anything else, but not losing you," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

Reaching up, I cupped her face, wiping away a tear that had slipped from her eye. It didn't shock me anymore when our thoughts were so eerily similar. I was getting used to it. We were almost always completely in sync. She was my better half, and lucky for me, I was hers. "I can't survive losing you either, angel. I feel terrible for Nero right now, but I'm so glad I'm not him, so thankful I still have you, can still hold you here in my arms. I'll always come home to you. I would do anything for the club, but I live for you. I will do everything I can to come home to you every day," I promised her. She needed reassurance often, I knew, but I would always reassure her. It was part of her anxiety that needed me to constantly reaffirm my love, and what she meant to me, but it was no hardship to do that. It was the honest truth, and I had no problem reaffirming it as often as she needed.

As much as I took care of her needs, she took care of mine, emotionally, physically. Every need I had, everything I never knew I wanted, she was it, and if I could give her even half of what she gave me back, I would be happy. I wanted to give her everything, though. She deserved it. I realized then that more than needing to hold each other and heal, she needed to feel. She'd shut away all her emotions when she stopped crying, and I realized that feeling sounded good. I'd never felt more than when we were making love, and I knew she felt the same way, so that was how the sunrise found us, laid out on that blanket making love.

 **A/N:** _This part has had a lot more chapters with Juice's POV, but I've kinda liked writing them. I hope y'all enjoy reading them just as much. I hope y'all liked this chapter. Please review! Thank you everyone who reads and especially my faithful reviewer!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	11. The Dinner

It was three weeks after the IRA had tried to kill the whole club, and we were still not completely out of the crosshairs. We'd managed to convince them to come to a truce, so no more lives were in danger, but we still hadn't figured out a way to get out of doing business with them completely. I knew Tara was putting pressure on Jax. If he didn't get the club out of danger so he could step away, she might actually leave him this time. They had three children and she simply wasn't going to put up with this life anymore. She knew that with Gemma gone, there was no reason Jax had to stay in Charming anymore, as long as he made it so the club was safe, he would be able to go. She was getting impatient with waiting for that, though.

Honestly, I couldn't blame her. She'd wanted him to get out for years, and even though she had settled into the idea that maybe this would be her life, now that her mother-in-law was killed, she no longer wanted any part of it. She wanted out and she would get away with or without her husband. Jax wanted to join her, but he wasn't going to leave until he knew for sure the club he loved was safe. I could understand his side of it, too. He'd been invested in this club his whole life. He loved his brothers. He wanted them to be safe and okay before he stepped away to put his family first.

So far, there had been talk with the guy who was in charge stateside. Connor was almost willing to do business with color, but the kings were refusing, and he knew unless we could figure out a way to change that, they would simply kill him and find someone else to take his place unless he did what they wanted, so he was pretty much useless as far as helping us goes. I could understand that, but I just wanted this to be over nearly as much as Tara did. I didn't want out, really, but I wanted to be able to feel safe and not worry about my husband or children being in danger.

In the meantime, life had to go on. A lot of us were in a rut, I knew. Losing Gemma had left us feeling lost and kind of like we were wandering without our matriarch. Venus had said I would likely need to be the one who had to step up and take her place. Her words still echoed in my mind. _"You know it's not going to be Tara, because she's got one foot out the door. Brie would be second choice, because we all know Jackson is going to have Filip take his place, but you and I both know she's not the right person. You've got a natural maternal instinct, and I'm 90% sure Filip will ask Juan to be his VP, so it simply makes sense for you to step into Gemma's shoes. Part of the reason you guys disagreed so much when you first came into our lives is because of how alike you are. I think she was threatened by you in a similar way she was by Tara when she moved back from Chicago. Regardless, though, the club needs a matriarch, and you've got the stuff to be it,"_ she'd told me.

Even though I was reluctant to admit she was right, she made good points. I didn't want to replace Gemma, and didn't want to make it seem like that was my intentions, though. I still wasn't even sure I wanted to be the mother figure, but we needed something, so I'd planned a dinner for tonight. I was leaving work early, not going back after my lunch break, and I'd go home to cook and prepare. I was mentally going through lists of everything that needed to be done as I got ready to head home. My husband was on a run, finally able to ride again, but he would be back before dinner.

A few hours later, I had a roast in the oven, and was working on side dishes when I heard some bikes pull up, recognizing the sound of my husband's as one of them. Brie, Skye, Tara, Brooke and Venus were all in the kitchen with me as we cooked and laughed together and the rest were due to be arriving soon, as well. We had music going and I was dancing around when I heard the front door open, followed by footsteps that were obviously the guys before I saw Juan, followed by Jax, Chibs, Rat, Tig, Happy and Quinn and even T.O., from the Grimm Bastards. I held out a slice of the tomato I was cutting for the salad and wrinkled my nose as my husband ate it. I hated tomatoes, but he loved them. He gave me a kiss once he'd swallowed and the other guys were greeting their women, too.

With my knife, I pointed to the fridge. "On the bottom shelf, there's beer. There's snacks in the living room, and that's where the kids are playing, with Wendy watching them. Kallie is down for a nap. You guys can hang out in the back yard or where ever. Dinner should be ready in roughly 45 minutes," I told everyone, setting down my knife as I heard a knock on the door. Tara took over for me as I removed my apron and headed to answer it. I found Lyla on the other side, with all four kids, and opened the door wider to let her in as I repeated what I'd just told the guys, adding that she could join us in the kitchen if she wanted, and that I had both red and white wine if she preferred that to beer, though I suggested the red with the pot roast we were having. She agreed to that, and I went into the kitchen to pour a glass for her, while she led the kids into the living room.

After dinner was over, I changed the music to more dance-y music, and shoved the living room furniture out of the way, so people could dance, if they wanted. I didn't usually dance, but I knew other people liked to. I brought out my bong to loosen people up, and my hookah too, just for fun. I wanted everyone to have a night to relax and let loose. I knew we all needed it. We needed to get together, but more than that, we needed to be reminded that we could all have fun together, that life goes on, even in the face of loss. I knew that reminder wasn't going to come easily, but if we had one night of fun, I could consider that a success.

My husband found me as I was mingling and being a hostess, and pulled me into his arms. I didn't even realize he wanted to dance, until I heard the song playing, and realized it was our song. I melted into him and swayed with him in our living room. "You did good, angel. I think this was exactly what everyone needed. I know it was what I needed," he kissed my temple as we continued to dance until the song ended. I didn't want to move from his embrace, even though the next song was a fast one, so we ended up just standing there with our arms wrapped around each other.

Tilting my head back so I could look into his eyes, I lifted onto my tip toes to give him a kiss, then looked around the room. Wendy and Skye were sitting together, arms wrapped around each other. Brie and Chibs were dancing nearby. Venus and Tig were on the couch with Jax and Tara involved in conversation. I noticed everyone in the room had a smile on their face that I hadn't seen in weeks. I knew it wasn't an immediate fix, but it was definitely a start, and I wondered if maybe Venus was right. I could be the person who held the guys together, held the club together and maybe I needed to be that person as much as that club needed someone to be that person.

Turning my gaze back to my husband, I nodded. "You're what I need," I said, feeling a bit more affectionate than I usually was. He had a way of bringing that side out in me though. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck and linking my fingers together at his nape. I had to snort though, as I usually did when someone said something that mushy. "That was cheesy as fuck, but you know it's true, right? I can get through anything, as long as I have you by my side," I stretched up on my tip toes again, this time pulling him into an even deeper kiss. I had to pull away after a moment, breathless.

Taking a minute to catch his breath, he met my gaze. He had his 'I'm-going-to-fuck-you,' look on his face, and he put his lips to my ear. "You need to save that thought for later, or I'm going to bend you over the couch or kitchen table. You can take your pick, once everyone leaves," he whispered, his words sending warmth through me all the way to my vagina. I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath to keep a hold of my control. I whispered that he was a fiend. "I may be, but you love it," he added and I met his gaze, biting my lip. I didn't need to say anything because he was right. There was no argument for that.

Cocking his eyebrow, he shook his head. "You have your fuck-me look on," he said, and I couldn't deny that either, so I smirked at him. I would spend the rest of the evening trying to decide which option I was going to go with, and I was heavily leaning toward both, to be honest. I played the gracious hostess for another couple hours, but I was sure they all knew why we wanted the house to ourselves. I was completely unapologetic. I was a newlywed and had many years to make up for, so I was going to have my husband as much and as often as I could.

Once everyone was gone and everything was cleaned up, I sat on the kitchen table, beckoning my husband towards me with one finger. "We're going to start here, and then move to the couch, and quite possibly some other places before we end up in bed," I said when he had approached and was standing with my legs bracketing his waist. I sent him a devilish smirk and slowly began stripping from the waist up, removing shirt then bra, and then removing his cut and shirt. I leaned back and lifted my ass so I could slip off my shorts and thong.

A few moments later, he'd stripped off the rest of his clothes, but instead of bending me over the table, as he'd told me he was planning, he left me laying on my back, and he kissed his way down my torso, paying attention to each nipple before he began to lick and suck my clit. I gripped the edge of the table, my back arching in pleasure as he ate me expertly to two orgasms before he finally pulled me up and flipped me over so he could thrust into me. He took me hard and fast, pounding into me again and again and I was coming again quickly, moaning his name, and a few moments later he followed me over the edge, moaning my name in return.

While we were fucking, I hadn't heard anything but our noises, but as we both recovered, I heard my phone going off and I only went searching for it so I could turn it off, but I hesitated when I saw I'd missed three calls from the same number. I answered this time, barely getting out a hello before the person on the other end was speaking. "Krystal, there's been an accident. My mom's dead and your dad's in the hospital. I wouldn't be calling. I know you don't give a fuck about your dad, but our little brother's gonna be taken into state custody. They won't give him to me and my boyfriend, but they'll let him go home with you while things get settled. You said I could call you for anything about him. Please," it took me a few moments to process the voice as Seth's, and then a few more moments to realize what he was saying.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair and began gathering my clothes. "Alright. I'll be there. What hospital?" I asked, noticing my husband's curious look. I held up a finger to him as Seth gave me an answer, and then I said goodbye, looking at my husband as I threw on clothes. "We're going to have to continue this sexcapade later. Apparently Larry's son needs me. I don't know much. I guess Larry and his wife were in a car accident. She's dead, and it's not looking good for him. If I don't come take him for at least a bit, he's going to go into the system, and I don't want that," I sighed again, and Juan, to his credit, absorbed what I said and began to get dressed so we could go.

 **A/N:** _I kinda like this chapter. Next one is pretty good too. Hope y'all like it. Please review and I'll update again in a few days. As for now, I'm gonna try to sleep cuz I've been up all night._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	12. Birthday Girl

(Juan's POV)

A few days later, I made sure to get up early, so I could make my wife breakfast on her birthday. She knew there was going to be a party tonight at the clubhouse, but she was under the impression that the reason for it was because Joey was coming down to visit Venus. I'd made sure everyone knew to keep it secret from her that it was for her birthday. She chose to ignore her birthday, and I knew the best way to get her to believe I was choosing to ignore it, too, would be to pretend we were all gathering tonight for something else. She'd even helped plan, although, I'd gotten with Brie and Skye to get everything that was specific for her birthday done.

Just as I was finishing her breakfast, David came into the kitchen. I actually didn't mind having the little dude around. He was 8 years old, and literally looked like a male version of Krystal. He also seemed to inherit the same stubborn streak she had from their father. I knew she was worried about what would happen if Larry didn't make it, or if he got sent to prison, as they were threatening, because he and his wife had been in possession of drugs when they'd gotten into the car accident. He could go away for a lot of years, and Krystal didn't want her own brother to have to go into the foster care system.

For the most part, I knew she was trying to convince herself that something would work out and she wouldn't be faced with the decision of raising her brother for the foreseeable future or having him go into foster care, but in all honesty, we both knew what she'd choose. If she was just considering herself, she'd take him, of course, but I also knew that she would let him go into the system if I didn't want to raise him. She'd been so accepting and open to raising a child that wasn't hers when Ima was saying she was having my baby, though, that I couldn't deny her this. It would be rough, adjusting to two new babies and an 8 year old, too, but we could manage, if we had to, I knew that.

Setting a plate for David on the table, I finished preparing the tray for Krystal, putting a black rose, a pipe and one of her birthday presents on it, in addition to her breakfast, and then took it upstairs to our bedroom. I was giving her one of her presents now because I knew she would be suspicious if I didn't get her anything. I set it on the nightstand, then sat on the bed next to her, leaning down to wake her up with a kiss, which she deepened as she woke up, wrapping her arms around my neck and holding me close, even as she kept her eyes closed. "Happy Birthday, angel of mine," I said against her lips and she groaned, her green eyes finally popping open. "You may pretend this day doesn't exist, but I'll be forever grateful for it," I added.

Getting up, I brought the tray over to her as she sat up, pulling on a tee-shirt that had been discarded the night before. I set it on her lap, handing her the lighter as she lightly touched the black rose, and then picked up the pipe first, as I'd known she would. She didn't speak until she was done smoking. "Thank you, Ace. I love you, and I appreciate this. I'm far more excited for our 6 month anniversary in a little over a week than for today, but breakfast in bed? I'll take that any day," she leaned in for another kiss before she started eating, ignoring the gift until after she'd eaten.

When she finished, she picked up the present, and sent me a look that was supposed to be stern, but the smile on her face that she couldn't help ruined the effect. "This better not be something expensive," she said, before ripping the paper off and staring at the CD in her hand. I'd made her a mix CD, of songs that reminded me of her. She read through the list and then grinned, throwing herself at me. "This is the sweetest gift I've ever gotten. Even considering song number fifteen. Thank you so much," she said after pulling back for a moment to set the CD aside. On the CD were the following songs:

The Last Night – Skillet

You're Not Alone – Saosin

Lead The Fight On – He Is We

Have Faith In Me - A Day To Remember

I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab For Cutie

Remembering Sunday – All Time Low

Hold On – Good Charlotte

Beside You – Marianas Trench

Best Of Me – The Starting Line

Ocean Avenue – Yellowcard

Feeling This – Blink 182

One Love – Marianas Trench

A Thousand Years – Christina Perri

Turning Page – Sleeping At Last

Nympho – Borgore

Dancing Away With My Heart – Lady Antebellum

Begin Again – Taylor Swift

Angel Eyes - The Jeff Healey Band

Open Arms – Journey

I Wanna Hold Your Hand – The Beatles

After her morning birthday sex, and a shower, with some shower birthday sex, for good measure, she had to get dressed. She was taking David with her to the hospital today, because Larry had finally been moved over to St. Thomas. He was in a coma for now, and he'd been at a hospital closer to his home, but Krystal had gotten him transferred over here. She got David ready and I met her in our foyer to say goodbye before she left. "I'll see you at Jax and Tara's later. I love you, husband, so fucking much," she tried to get away with a quick kiss, but I pulled her into a deeper one.

Letting her go a few minutes later, I allowed her to leave. "I love you back, wife, so fucking much," I returned, then ruffled the boy's hair. "I'll see you later, David. Have a good day, buddy," I said to him before I retreated to our room to grab my shit so I could head to Scoops. The insurance was still doing inspections, or whatever bullshit they claimed was going on, so repairs hadn't even started on the clubhouse, but hopefully they would start up soon. We all wanted our clubhouse back. Our table with the Reaper carved into it had survived, but Scoops wasn't home. It felt off still.

Later in the afternoon, everyone was gathered at Jax and Tara's. Tara wanted out still, but since we'd hosted everyone at our house a few days ago, she'd offered their house for this event. I was BBQ'ing tri tip, because it was one of Krystal's favorites. Everything was already set up, including a table with gifts for her, and the only thing we were waiting on was her, though she was due to arrive any minute. I got a text from her saying she was leaving the house and she'd be over soon. We didn't live very far from Tara and Jax. I found Tara. "She'll be here any minute," I said, and she went off to greet Krystal at the door.

Just a few minutes later, my wife entered the back yard, and we all called out 'Happy Birthday,' to her. She was sufficiently surprised, and I knew even though she acted like she hated her birthday, she really hated all the times she'd expected a good birthday and gotten way less than what she deserved. My plan was to make every birthday for her great from here on out. I couldn't re-do her previous birthdays, but I could make her look forward to them again. I wanted to do that for her.

As she headed towards me, she said 'hi' and 'thank you' to people as she passed. She whacked me in the arm when she reached me, but then pulled me into a kiss. "You're a dick, but I love you. Thank you," she said and I grinned and told her I was okay with that. "I know what you're planning. You want me to look forward to my birthdays again," she said, letting me know she could see right through me as always. I nodded, unapologetic. "I'll try, for you. It's easy to look forward to something when I get to do whatever it is with you," she said, then rolled her eyes at her 'mushiness' as she would call it, and pulled me into another appreciative kiss.

When she broke away, I sank into a chair, pulling her onto my lap. "Hey, if it gets me kisses like that, I'll gladly do anything you want me to," I said and she laughed before kissing me again. I was starting to forget everyone else was there, but my brothers wouldn't let me do that for long. Catcalls and whistles and shouts for us to get a room broke through the bubble that often encased and separated us from the rest of the world when we got lost in each other.

Using her middle finger to rub her brow, she subtly yet obviously flipped everyone off. I patted her ass so she would get up and told her to go mingle so I could pay attention to the tri tip. Her face lit up when she realized what I was making. "Oh god, my second favorite meat. I'll settle for that for now, as long as I get some of this later," she stepped up to me once I'd stood and subtly caressed my cock through my pants before she stepped back again. "I swear, all I want to do anymore is fuck, eat and sleep. The rest of this pregnancy is going to be interesting," she winked before she headed over to Brie and Skye, pulling them into a group hug.

Once everyone had eaten, we moved her to a chair to start opening her presents. She got a lot of thoughtful gifts, and I could tell she was surprised again this year at how well everyone knew her. She never told anyone specifically what she wanted, claiming she didn't need anything, but everyone had managed to find her things she liked without her asking. I gave her my present last, which was a karaoke machine, and several CD's with songs she would love to sing. She had been wanting one for years, since she was in high school, yet had never gotten around to purchasing one.

Setting it aside, she threw herself into my arms, legs wrapping around my waist as I caught her, and kissed me deeply before she pulled away. I set her down and she started flipping through the CD, her face lighting up as she saw a song. "I know what we're starting with," she said, then took the machine and CD's into the living room, with the rest of us trailing behind. Jax helped her set it up, and she put in a CD, taking one mic and handing me the other before telling me to turn around before she put the song on. I had a feeling she had chosen "Summer Lovin'" which was from the movie Grease, so I was hesitant, but did as she said.

When the music started and my assumption was correct, I groaned and turned to her as she started singing. I wasn't a particular fan of karaoke, and if she had been anyone else in the world, I would have turned her down, but she looked at me, her green eyes pleading as she sang and I couldn't say no to her. I knew I'd never be able to say no to her about anything. I started singing when it was my turn, getting plenty of shit from the guys, but the look my wife sent me that promised me she would reward me later made it way more than worth it.

After that song, I sat with a beer, watching as my wife and some of the others continued to do karaoke. She was loving it, and I was just glad that I'd bought her something that made her happy. That alone was worth it to me. I just wanted to see that smile on her face as much as possible. She tried so hard to keep everyone around her happy, and she was used to no one putting her first the way she put others first, but I would always put her first, and I knew she was still getting used to that, but she was the better half of me and she deserved someone who would always put her first.

While she was singing a song off of the Disney music karaoke CD, her phone rang, and I wasn't going to disturb her, but it was St. Thomas, so I raised my voice so she could hear me over the music and told her to pause it as I walked over with her phone. She took it from me slowly, swiping her finger across the screen to answer, and then putting it to her ear. "Hello. Yes, this is her. Yes, he's with me. Okay, we'll be there shortly. Thank you," she let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through her hair, biting on her lip as she hung up and looked around the room, spotting David and heading over to him. "Come on buddy. Sorry everyone, we've got to get to St. Thomas. David's dad just woke up. Thank you, guys, for all of this" she said.

 **A/N:** _Here's chapter 12! I hope y'all like it. I had fun with it. I like doing Juice's POV, that's why about half of this part is in his POV. I'm not sure if part 5 will have that many chapters from his POV, but I'll definitely get him and some others in there too. I've already started writing it. This part has 21 chapters and an Epilogue. It'll be fun and drama-filled and I'm hoping you all will like it as much as I enjoy writing it. I'm thinking about posting every other day again, since I'm so far ahead in my writing schedule, but I haven't decided yet. Any opinions or thoughts are greatly appreciated! Please review! Thank you to everyone who reads and especially thanks to my faithful reviewer! I appreciate it so much!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	13. Daddy Issues

Without me needing to ask, Juan took my truck keys from my hand and loaded David and I into the truck. He told Jax he'd pick everything up later, and then drove us to the hospital. I didn't know what to think. What I hadn't told David was that the nurse had said that Larry had flat lined. He'd been dead, but they'd brought him back, and he was awake now. He'd almost lost his father. I'd almost lost mine. He'd never been a father to me, but did I want him dead? I'd always thought I wouldn't care, but somehow the possibility that maybe we could fix things had always been there, as unlikely as it was. I didn't know how I felt any more about that possibility being taken away.

Even though I had said as little to Juan as I had to David, my husband still knew me well enough to know I was trying to process something. He held my hand in his as we drove, and he was sending me looks to let me know he was here and he supported me, no matter what was happening and no matter what did happen. I squeezed his hand gratefully, once again amazed at how lucky I was. He always knew what I needed and always gave it to me willingly, sometimes before I even knew what it was. I never had to question how important I was to him, and considering I'd never come first to anyone, including my own parents, that was everything to me.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, I studied my little brother. His eyes still had the childish innocence that mine had lost almost before I was his age. He didn't have the same responsibilities or weight on his shoulders that I'd had at his age. I'd been acting as my mother's mother since I was about his age, and I'd lost my innocence before that, really. I wanted him to retain his innocence as long as possible. I didn't want to see it crushed out of him as mine had been. I realized then that I would do anything to keep that look in his eyes as long as possible.

Reality smacked me in the face. I'd been hoping for some way for things to work out so he wouldn't have to be go into the system, and we wouldn't have to take him in, but I realized then that was exactly what I wanted to do. I didn't want strangers raising my little brother, my own flesh and blood. I definitely didn't want Larry to do it; didn't want him to screw my brother up as badly as he'd screwed me up. I'd have to talk to Juan about it, of course, but I realized then that I wanted to take David in. I wanted him to have the best life possible, and I wanted to give it to him, almost as much as I wanted to give it to the two babies inside of me.

When we reached the hospital, I took the lead again, shoving my thoughts and emotions aside so I could get be strong and get through this for David. I talked to the nurse at the nurse's station, and then let another nurse take David to see his dad while I spoke to the police. Juan stayed with me, but held back, holding my hand and just offering support. I didn't know if I wanted to see Larry or not yet, and I could tell he knew that. "How many years are we talking about?" I didn't bother to beat around the bush with the cop, not one of the San Joa Sheriffs, but one from Stanislaus county, where Larry lived.

Regarding me for a moment, I could tell the cop was trying to decide how brutally honest he should be, considering my dad, as far as he knew, had just almost died and I should have been a wreck. He seemed to sense I was okay with all of it, because he nodded slowly. "Well, it'll probably be fifteen years. He wasn't driving the vehicle, so basically what we have him for is possession with possible intent to sell, because he had quite a large amount of meth in the vehicle with them. He might get parole in ten, if he's lucky. Have you decided if David can stay with you, or should I give you the number to contact someone so they can start looking for a foster family for him?" he asked.

Sharing a look with Juan, I really didn't know what to say. We hadn't discussed this. I cleared my throat, and I was about to say I needed more time to discuss with my husband, and decide, but Juan took a step forward, squeezing my hand and addressing the cop. "He'll stay with us," he said, and the cop nodded, saying he'll get in touch if he needs anything, and we can do the same, before he walked down the hallway. My eyes were still wide with shock as I looked at my husband. "He's your brother. We're not handing him off to strangers to raise. There's enough room in the house. Between both our incomes, we make enough. It's not like we were ever planning on having a small family. We can fit him into it, too," he said.

Biting my lip, I tried to hold back the tears as suddenly the reality of it all hit me. Larry had almost died. I didn't want him in my life, but I didn't want him dead. My brother just lost his mother, and almost his father, too, and I felt it for him more than I felt like crying for myself. I also wanted to cry for a happy reason, though. I was overwhelmed by the love I felt from my husband, the things he would do for me. I couldn't have asked him to take David in, but the fact that I didn't even need to made me feel more blessed to have him in my life than I ever thought possible.

Even though I made a point not to cry, and especially not over happy reasons, I found I couldn't stop the tears. I blamed it on my out of whack hormones. I walked into his embrace and he just let me, wrapping his arms around me, rubbing my back in the way I liked. He sent me silent reassurances and comfort, and I cried until I had no more tears, knowing this would be the last time I cried over anything to do with Larry. I looked up at him when I finished, sniffling and wiping the tear trails from my cheeks. "I love you more than words could ever say, Juan Carlos Ortiz, and I'll never be able to tell you how much I appreciate this, but I won't stop trying either. Not until I take my last breath, if then," I vowed, snaking my arms around his neck and stretching onto my tiptoes to kiss him.

Smirking when he pulled away, he shook his head slowly. "I could say the same to you, angel of mine. You don't have to try to tell me anything. I know, and I feel the same way about you. You know that," he kissed my forehead and then looked down into my eyes again, almost like the cop had earlier, trying to tell if I was okay to handle what he was going to say next. "Do you want to go in and see him, or do you want to wait here until David is done?" he asked and I pondered the question for a minute, then noticed a clock behind him, realizing visiting hours were over.

Two options were in front of me, I could get David and take him home to bed, tell him he could come back in and see Larry tomorrow, while I'm at work, or I could go speak to Larry myself, but I realized I didn't have anything I wanted to say to him. I'd said it all the last time I'd seen him, and whether he'd almost died or not, I still didn't believe he'd changed, so I didn't have anything to add at this time. "Can you get David? We need to get him home and in bed. Visiting hours are over anyway. He can visit with Larry tomorrow, and every day till they haul him away, I guess," I said.

Nodding, he went to do what I asked, and I headed to the nurse's station, asking them to call me with any updates before I waited there for Juan and David, trying to figure out how I was going to tell David about this new development. We'd explained that if his dad died like his mom had, he would either need to stay with us, or there would be another family who would take great care of him (probably an exaggeration when it comes to the system, at least in my opinion, but what else do you say to a kid his age?), but we hadn't really expected Larry to live and be sent to jail so now we were going to have to explain that even though his dad hadn't died, he'd still be moving in with us, because Larry had to go to jail? This was not going to be a fun conversation.

Actually, since I was thinking about conversations with sons about their fathers, I wondered how Venus's talk with Joey had gone. She'd said she wanted to do it after the party tonight, because she wanted to get it done, but she also wanted one more good memory with him first. She was really scared of his reaction still, but I was pretty sure he was going to be accepting, especially after I'd met him tonight. He'd seemed pretty cool. I sent her a text asking how it'd gone, and she replied a few minutes later, telling me it went great and asking how things were here. I replied, 'Larry's going to jail, and Juan and I decided we're going to keep raising David. It'll be hard, but we'll manage,' just as Juan and David were walking up to me.

Since it was a conversation better had at the house, I leaned into my husband and wrapped my arm around his waist, tucking my hand into the back pocket of his jeans as he draped an arm across my shoulders and then I took David's hand in my free hand and the three of us walked to the truck. I'd been planning on having the conversation when we got home, after picking up my stuff from Jax and Tara's, but we'd barely left their house when David broke the silence we'd been driving in. "Dad's going to jail, right? What's going to happen to me?" he asked.

For a moment, I was surprised at how well he understood, but he was 8 years old, but he'd grown up so far with Larry, and he seemed to be a pretty smart kid in general. I glanced at Juan, who sent me a look that told me it was up to me to answer that question. I knew he wasn't shrugging off the responsibility, but moreso letting me decide how much to tell him. I turned in the passenger seat to look back at David. "He is, probably for a long time. I was thinking you could stay with Juan and I, if you're okay with that? Do you like living with us so far?" I asked, deciding not to go too deep into Larry's situation, and focusing on David instead.

Tapping his chin, David thought about it for a moment, before he nodded decisively. "I'm okay with that. Can I help you finish tuning up your bike tomorrow, Juice?" he asked, his eyes lighting up. I could tell we had a future motorcycle enthusiast on our hands, if not a potential future club member, and had to stifle a laugh, and Juan met his eyes in the rearview and nodded. David seemed to think of something else, because he was talking again before Juan could verbally respond. "I won't have to share a room with one of the babies, will I?" he asked seriously.

Part of me wanted to laugh at the somberness of his tone, but I managed not to, and I shook my head. "Of course not. You'll have your own room. Actually, I was thinking, since we're going to have the babies who will need our attention a lot, maybe you could use another play mate," I glanced at Juan, who looked intrigued, but not discouraging, which was good since I hadn't mentioned this to him. The idea had just formed in my head. "You're a responsible young man. How would you like your own puppy? If you promise to take him on walks and feed him? That way you will have someone to look after while Juan and I are taking care of the babies. How would you like that?" I asked, and the way both of their faces lit up at the idea of having a puppy, I knew that our ever growing family was about to add a dog as well.

 **A/N:** _I'm posting this now, because I'll be busy later today and dunno if I'll remember to post it. Hope y'all enjoy. Please review! Here's a bit of a spoiler to get you excited for the next chapter: The title is The Name Game._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	14. The Name Game

The next month passed quickly and before I knew it, it was almost May, I was getting close to six months pregnant, and I was hating the California summer more than I ever had. I vowed to Juan almost daily that I was never going to be pregnant in the summer again. We were allowed to conceive in summer, but spending all summer practically as big as my own planet was not fun and I was not going to do it again if I could help it. I was showing a lot more now that I had been. It was like the babies had grown practically overnight. I was fitting into my clothes, then all of a sudden, I could only fit into sweats and Juan's tee-shirts, so I'd had to start wearing the maternity clothes people had given me for my birthday, buying a few more things for myself to supplement. I was lucky that everyone knew me so well and everything I'd been given was black, green, or Batman themed.

Even though I was almost six months, we hadn't been able to tell the sex of the babies at the last ultrasound because they'd both been positioned in a way we couldn't see what was between their legs. I had another ultrasound today, and was hoping they'd moved into a position so we could tell. We'd started buying things for the nursery, but I wanted to be able to paint and decorate, and even though I knew I'd likely be decorating in sea green with other gender neutral colors, I wanted to be able to settle the name debate Juan and I were having, and stop calling them Baby A and Baby B.

Also, I really wanted to be able to tell everyone what we were having tonight. We were going to be gathered at our house for David's birthday party anyway. My little brother was turning 9 and I'd planned a great party for it. I hadn't gotten to really plan big, fun birthday parties for myself when I was a kid, and my mom hadn't either. I'd always ended up with gatherings with my family, mostly, but I wanted him to have really memorable birthday's, like I planned on doing for our children, so I'd gone all out. I'd ordered a bouncy bin, cotton candy machine and a dunk tank. There were also going to be little game booths set up for kids to play games and win prizes. David had started school already, so in addition to club members, he'd invited his whole class, and we'd gotten a good amount of yes RSVP's.

Before that could start, though, we had to get through my appointment this morning. I drove the truck, following behind Juan on his bike, although I had to detour to drop David off at school before meeting Juan at St. Thomas. I parked in my spot, found my husband leaning against the car next to mine and we walked in together. We only had to wait about ten minutes before we were called back, but I barely even noticed, just like I wasn't paying much attention as we waited for the ultrasound tech to come in. My mind was on baby names, and what sex they were going to be as I continued to hope that we'd be able to tell.

When Dr. Greene finally walked in, she shook both our hands and then got to work. She knew how much I'd been anticipating this appointment since the last one when our children had stubbornly refused to let us know whether they'd be boys or girls. I'd gotten endless teasing over the past month that they were going to be just as stubborn as I was and maybe I wouldn't find out until they were born, but I was really hoping that wouldn't be the case. I wanted to know. I wasn't one of those people who wanted to be surprised. I was lucky that Juan agreed with me on this point.

After the cold gel was spread on my stomach, Dr. Greene moved the transducer around and my eyes were intent on the screen, my hand clasping Juan's tightly. I grinned when the first baby came into view, in the perfect position, and let the doctor tell my husband. "Well, here's Baby A, and he's being very cooperative today," she said and his eyes widened, so she pointed out his penis on the screen. "Indeed, Juice, you're having at least one boy. Let's see if Baby B is being just as cooperative," she said once she'd taken the pictures. She moved the transducer over and searched for the second baby, and sure enough, I could tell the sex of this one too. "She is also being cooperative. It looks like you two have got the best of both worlds, a little boy and a little girl," she said, taking the pictures before wiping off my stomach.

Once she had given me the information I needed and left the room. I adjusted my clothes and peered over at my husband, trying to figure out his reaction. I had to admit, I was pretty pleased. I already had boy's names in my mind, and I knew he had been thinking of girls names because of our bet we'd made before we'd even known we were having twins. He pulled me into a deep kiss. "I was thinking for a girl, we should name her Evelyn Marie Ortiz," he suggested, and I smiled, touched that he would remember my grandmothers middle name was Evelyn. His moms name was Marie, which is why I had to agree that it was the perfect name for our baby girl. I answered with a kiss.

Leaving the office and heading to my own, I had my arm wrapped around his waist with my hand in his back pocket, and he reciprocated, putting his hand in my back pocket. "I think that's perfect, and you're amazing," I said, deciding to answer verbally in case my kiss hadn't been clear enough. I paused thoughtfully before divulging the name I had taken a liking to for a boy. "I kind of like the name Michael Anthony Ortiz for a boy," I told him and he pondered it for a minute before nodding, saying he liked it too. "Mommy can't wait to meet you, Michael and Evelyn. You're going to be two of the most loved babies on the planet, with our whole extended family," I said as I sank into my office chair and rubbed my protruding stomach.

Sinking into a chair on the opposite side of the desk, Juan placed his feet on my desk and looked across it at me, an eyebrow cocked in a way that made me know exactly what he was thinking. "I have paperwork to do, but I suppose that can wait. You don't have to be back to the clubhouse for another couple hours, right?" I asked and he nodded, so I smirked back. "Okay, lock the door. You know I'm always down for a quickie in my office," I said, and so that's how we spent the next hour, our impromptu quickie turning into a not-quite-so-quick quickie. I had not thought it possible to increase our sex life, but my hormones made me want him all the time, not that that wasn't true before, but we were taking advantage as much as possible before the babies arrived and put a serious damper on our sex time.

A few hours later, I was in my element, taking care of everything for the party. I had to waddle around, because I was so big, but I moved quickly for a pregnant woman. I had the food tables set up, one for snacks with crackers, cheese and vegetable and fruit platters, another with a few different pizzas with a variety of toppings. In one ice chest I had capri suns and waters for the kids and I had put soda, beer and wine coolers in a separate ice chest for the adults. There was another table with presents. I was planning on bringing the cake outside when it was time to blow out the candles. It was an ice cream cake, because that was what David had wanted, so it was still in the freezer.

Looking around, I realized the backyard was decorated and looked great, and now I needed to get myself dressed, so I headed inside to do that before people started showing up. Juan was playing video games in the living room with David until people showed up and I ruffled David's hair and kissed the top of my husband's head as I passed through the room on my way to the bedroom. I had finally gotten my hair cut into a pixie cut. My roots were looking pretty bad, but I was refraining from dying my hair again until the babies were born. I pulled on a black pleated, mid-thigh length skirt, my lime green Converse and a lime green off the shoulder top, then headed back downstairs, just as the doorbell rang. Tara and Jax had arrived with Abel, Thomas and Kallie, and I smiled. Abel was in the same class as David, and they got along pretty well.

As the evening passed, I mingled around, making sure the kids were all having a good time, and talking with the club members and Old Ladies that were there. I made sure none of the food platters went empty and kept the coolers full as well. I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed doing things like this until I'd had to step up and start planning things. "You're going to make a great mother, you realize. Gemma would be proud of you," I turned and saw Tara sitting in a chair watching me, and decided to rest for a minute, taking the open chair next to her. She was holding Kallie, who'd just fallen asleep, it appeared.

Thinking about her words, I ran a hand though my short hair, wondering if they were correct. I enjoyed doing this event planning thing, but I didn't really see how that translated to me being a good mom. The comment about Gemma being proud of me, I could see that. We'd come a long way since we'd first met. Planning the wedding together had helped. I think she'd also respected me because I had lived through everything I'd lived through and still come back into Juan's life, knowing it might not end up how I expected, but loving him enough to try anyway. I just stared out at the party that was finally winding down, as parents came to pick up their kids, unsure of what to say really.

Somehow, Tara seemed to sense that I wasn't quite sure about her first statement. "Listen, there is no handbook when it comes to parenting. The most important thing you can do is love your kid, and do what you think is best for them. As long as you do that, then you're doing it right. No matter what you do, someone will have something to say about it, but I know you, and I can see already how much you love these babies, and they're not even here yet. You put so much of yourself into planning this event for your brother, and he's not even your kid. You love him, and you love your kids already, and you want the best for them. Everything else will work itself out. You are going to make a great mother, Krystal. You already are," she patted my shoulder, and then walked away to find her husband, just as mine walked up to me.

Since people were getting ready to leave, I noticed that all the kids that weren't attached to SAMCRO had been picked up already, and it was our extended family left, so I mentioned that to Juan, who said it was a good idea for us to share the news now. He got everyone's attention, and then let me make the announcement. "Well, as y'all know, we had another ultrasound today. In a few months we're going to be welcoming Michael Anthony and Evelyn Marie Ortiz into the family," I said, and in return got many congratulations and hugs.

 **A/N:** _I hope there are still people reading. Please, let me know what you think. I don't really have all that much else to say right now. Enjoy! Next chapters title is: Making Plans._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	15. Making Plans

(Juan's POV)

About a month after finding out the sex of the babies, I woke to my phone going off, a text from Jax asking everyone to gather for church in an hour. It was a simple, straight to the point text, but I wondered how much he wasn't saying. It seemed off, but I figured we'd all get the news later. It wasn't urgent enough that he was asking everyone to meet now after all. I decided to focus on spending the next hour paying attention to my wife, whose sex drive had increased to a level that even I had a hard time keeping up with, though I managed, of course. The only way I would ever turn her down would be if I was dead.

Lifting the blanket, I moved my head down, gently suckling on her exposed nipple as my hand massaged her other breast. They had grown a lot since she'd gotten pregnant. They were a D now, but she kept complaining that they would probably be at least a DD by the time her milk fully came in. I, of course, would never complain about that. I lavished each nipple with attention as she started to wake up, moaning softly in the back of her throat. I moved down further south and began lavishing the same type of attention to her clit, her back arching as I pushed two fingers inside her and began to finger fuck her and suck on her clit at the same time. I made her come a handful of times before I entered her, and we both came again before I realized we'd better get in the shower or I'd be late for church.

Dressed in black pregnancy shorts and a lime green maternity tank, Krystal was cursing the heat again as she had been all summer. She had about two months to go before the babies arrived and I knew she was dreading every day of the next month that she still had to work. She was going to start her maternity leave in the beginning of her seventh month and spend the month after that on bed rest until she had the babies. She didn't want to take any chances on them coming earlier than she wanted. I kissed the back of her neck now bared by her recent haircut. I was lucky to have a wife that looked gorgeous no matter if she had short or long hair, make up or natural, dressed up or in pj's. She was always gorgeous as fuck to me.

Looking into the mirror in front of her, her intense green eyes met mine. I could tell she realized what I was thinking, and how much she appreciated and loved me for it. That meant more to her than she thought she could express, but I knew. I always knew her. Just as much as she always knew me. I turned her in my arms and kissed her deeply before pulling back so I could get going. "Let me know how it goes. I'm heading over to the hospital in a little while so I can complete the paperwork for my maternity leave, and then I have some appointments this afternoon, but I'll be heading home at five to get dinner on the table," she told me her plans for the day, as she always did, which I really appreciated.

Nodding, I squeezed her hand. "I love you, angel. I'll give you a call after church and let you know what's going on. I think he may have actually come up with a plan to get us out of guns. I'm not sure why I think that. It's mainly a gut feeling, since Jax didn't mention anything about what he wanted us to meet for, but I will be sure to let you know," I told her as I attached my chain to my belt loop and slipped my wallet in my back pocket. I grabbed my sunglasses and put on my cut, then gave her one more quick kiss before I headed for the door, as she called out that she loved me back.

Once I'd arrived at Scoops, I parked my bike on the street, then dismounted, removing my helmet and putting it on the handlebars before heading inside. I saw Wendy, Brooke and Chuckie behind the counter and Wendy told me most of the guys were upstairs already. We were waiting on Hap, who was coming down from Tacoma this morning, but even he should be here soon, so I headed up the back stairs. The guys were all seated so I took my seat and joined in the random conversation until Happy arrived and closed the door behind him, taking his seat to Jax's right.

Slamming down the gavel, Jax called us to order and we all stopped talking and turned our attention to him. He lit a cigarette and I could tell he was trying to figure out how to word it. "I've been trying to figure out how to get revenge on the kings for killing my best friend and my mother, and get us out of guns all at the same time. Tara doesn't want to stay in Charming, so I've been trying to figure out the best way to get my family out safe, while keeping the club safe as well," he explained, even though this was stuff the rest of us already knew.

Pausing to take a long drag from his cigarette, he stared into the distance. "I am going to kill one of the kings. Roarke is coming stateside in a couple months. He wants to meet with us once we've got the garage and clubhouse rebuilt and he's going to want to make plans to move forward. My plan is this: I'm going to kill Roarke, Connor can split off and take care of gun distribution here. I'll set him up with the Mayans. Then I'm stepping down. My family and I are leaving Charming. We're going to stay until Krystal has the twins, because Tara promised her she'd be there, and then I'm blacking out my ink and we're going. I've got to put some distance between my family and the club before I either lose them or end up dead," he finally said.

For a few minutes there was silence as we all processed this. He began to explain some details, and the rest of us stayed silent for the most part, as he laid out a plan that actually seemed like it would work. If everything went to plan, we'd be out of our illegal business ventures, Opie and Gemma's deaths would be avenged, and Jax and Tara would be moving away, all in a couple months. "I know it's a while between now and when this will be going down, but I thought it'd be a good idea to give all of us time to process before this happens," he finished, putting out his cigarette and looking around the table at the rest of us.

Reaching for my pack, I lit a cigarette of my own as I waited for someone else to break the silence. I really had no idea what to say. It was one thing to think that Jax and Tara were possibly going to leave and take the kids. It was another thing entirely to know it was going to happen. Jax had finally admitted to the rest of us that he was going to give Chibs the President patch, and the rest of us had to agree it was right. A few of the guys thought Chibs would end up giving the VP patch to me, but I wasn't sure about that, honestly. Part of me thought he was going to give it to Tig, but maybe I'd be surprised. I didn't really think I deserved it, but Krystal seemed to think I had a low opinion of myself.

After about five minutes of silence, I finally broke it. "We love you, brother, and we're all going to support you in whatever you have to do for your family," I told him, leaning over and clapping him on the shoulder. Chibs chimed in with similar thoughts, and the rest of the guys slowly added in their agreements, too. It was going to be different without Jax at the head of the table, but ultimately, we all understood the desire to put our families first. This club may be our family, but we all had Old Ladies and kids in most cases. We knew how it felt to want to do anything to make him safe. If this was what our leader needed to do, we'd do whatever we had to do to help him.

There was something I knew Krystal would want me to ask though. "Have you decided where you're going? Or told Wendy that you're leaving?" I asked. I knew Wendy would want to follow, maybe not now, but most likely eventually, because she'd want to be close to her son, which would mean Skye would go with Wendy, most likely, since they were already engaged. One wasn't likely to move away without the other at this point. Krystal would miss her best friend, but she wouldn't stand in the way of Skye moving to be with the woman she loved. She would just hope that they all stayed close enough that she'd be able to visit regularly.

Regarding me, Jax seemed to realize what I was asking for. He sighed and lit a joint this time. He took a long drag before he finally answered. "Nero is selling his part of Diosa to Alvarez. He's lost without my mom. He wants out of here. He would have left years ago if it hadn't been for her. He's finally making the move to his uncle's ranch in Norco. He's probably going to be making the move to prepare everything there at the end of this month. He said there's plenty of room for me, Tara and the kids, and even Skye and Wendy if they want to stay there from time to time, or if they just want to stay there while they look for their own place to live that's close by. No, I haven't brought this up to Wendy yet. I was waiting to bring it to the table first," he answered.

Nodding, I realized that when I told Krystal, I'd have to ask her not to say anything to Skye. Not yet. Not until after Jax had talked to Wendy and Wendy had discussed it with Skye. When Skye came to Krystal and Brie about it, then she could admit that she knew, but she couldn't tell them first. She'd have a hard time keeping the secret, especially since she hated lying, but I knew she'd understand that she'd have to. It wasn't her place to break the news to Skye. It was Jax and Tara's place to talk to Wendy about it first, and then Wendy should be the one to bring it up to Skye. "If it'll help Krystal, we're planning on talking to Wendy when she comes to pick up Abel for the weekend tomorrow, so I'm sure Skye will be coming to talk to her about it within the next couple days," Jax added, as if reading my thoughts.

For about another half an hour, we brought up the other things that needed to be discussed, although nothing as important as what had already been said. Repairs on the clubhouse had been started. Jax wanted me and Chibs to go over and check that out today. Rat and Tig were heading over to go see if Connor had any better idea of when Roarke would be coming yet. Jax and Happy were going to speak to Alvarez about how his takeover of Diosa was going to go. If anything big happened, we'd contact each other, but if not we'd meet for church tomorrow. I talked to Chibs, who was okay with me making a pit stop at the hospital to talk to my wife, and then we all left.

 **A/N:** _I almost forgot it was Wednesday (although I guess it's technically not anymore) but I had to wait till I got home from work. I hope y'all like the chapter. Please review! Next chapter title will be: Should I Stay or Should I Go? I'm sooo sorry, I thought this chapter had already been posted on Wednesday. I apologize for the delay._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	16. Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

(Skye's POV)

Last night, Brie had spent the night at Chibs' place, so Wendy had stayed at the apartment with me. We tried to always arrange our schedules so that neither of us wanted the bedroom on the same night. If one of us was in the bedroom for the night with our partner, the other would go to her partner's house. Our work schedules usually had us on different shifts, so I had demanded that this weekend, while Wendy was spending some quality time with Abel, which I loved to do, but I liked to give her alone time with him too, because he still wasn't completely used to Wendy being in a committed relationship. We were trying to slowly ease him into the fact that we were getting married and I'd be his third mother.

Of course, I also liked alone time with Brie, or Krystal, or if I was lucky, Brie and Krystal, so I had told them both that we were spending the weekend together at the apartment for some quality time. Krystal had said she was going home to sleep in her own bed, with her body pillow and her husband, but she'd spend the days with us, go home when she got tired, and come back over when she woke up. She'd probably be back with breakfast before we even woke up on Saturday or Sunday. She'd always been an early riser. I preferred to sleep in as late as possible, but I had a hard time sleeping at night.

Waking up next to Wendy was the best part of my day, any day we got to wake up together. I couldn't wait until we were married and we got to do this every day. We still hadn't discussed if I was moving into her place or if we were getting our own place together, but we still had time. We planned on getting married in the spring of next year, which would give Krystal time to lose her baby weight, though that wasn't why we'd chosen next spring. We wanted a long engagement to give Abel time to get used to the idea, and to give up a good long time to plan and make everything exactly the way we wanted it to be. Neither of us wanted to get married another time. We wanted this to be it, so we wanted it to be perfect. I knew it would be, simply because I was marrying her.

As I started to wake up, I knew she was already awake before I even opened my eyes. Wendy often woke up before me, and I often woke to find her watching me sleep. Some would find that creepy, but I found it really sweet. She wasn't watching me in a creepy way, but in a way that made me feel loved and cherished, like she couldn't look at me enough. I snuggled into her chest and finally opened my eyes, looking up to meet her gaze. I stretched up to give her a quick kiss. "Good morning, gorgeous," I said, which prompted the gorgeous smile I loved so much.

When I tried to pull back from the kiss, she just pulled me into a deeper one, which I was more than happy to reciprocate. She finally pulled back, trying to get up, but I held tight, not wanting to get up yet. She placed a kiss on my forehead before extracting herself from my embrace and climbing out of bed. "I have to shower so I can make it to work on time, but I think there's enough time for us to shower together, we can conserve water," she winked at me over her shoulder as she headed for the bathroom, and that was all it took to get me out of bed and following her.

After the shower, while we were finishing up breakfast, she got a text. Her brow quirked when she read it, and she typed a short reply before setting her phone down. I just waited. I knew she would tell me about whatever it was if she needed to. "Apparently, Jax and Tara have something they need to discuss with me when I pick up Abel today after work. No idea what that's about. If it's important, I'll call you. If not, I'll tell you about it Sunday evening when we meet for date night after I drop Abel back off with them," she said as she stood, taking our empty plates to the sink.

Following her, I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and kissed her shoulder as she stood at the sink. She turned in my arms and I stretched on my tiptoes to kiss her. "I'll wash the dishes. You get to work. I'll talk to you later, baby. I love you," I said to her, and she gave me one last kiss, repeating the words before she grabbed her phone and purse and headed out the door, leaving me at the sink washing the breakfast dishes. I cleaned up the kitchen, and then got back into bed to sleep a while longer. I didn't have to be to work until later, so I was going to sleep some more while I could.

Later that afternoon, as my work day was winding to a close, I saw that I had a missed call from my love. I finished cleaning up, clocked out, and then dialed her number as I started walking back to the apartment, which wasn't far from where I worked, fortunately, on nice evenings in the summer I didn't even mind walking home much. "Is something wrong, love?" I asked when she answered. She said Jax and Tara had some big news, and she needed to discuss with me. "Sure thing, baby. Come by the apartment. Brie and Krystal should be there, but we can talk in the bedroom, if you need privacy," I said, and her response was she'd be there in ten, then we both exchanged I love you's and goodbyes.

When I got to the apartment, Krystal and Brie were chilling on the couch listening to music and talking. There was a bong on the coffee table, but they appeared to be waiting for me so they could smoke. I let them know Wendy was coming over, and that they could smoke, and to send Wendy into the bedroom when she got here so I could talk to her, before I disappeared into the room to change and wait. I had barely pulled on a pair of boxers and a tank top before there was a knock on the door, followed by my favorite blonde entering the room, closing the door behind her.

The look on her face told me it was more serious than I'd been expecting, so I gestured for her to sit down on the bed and then sat next to her, taking her hands and waiting for her to talk. "They're moving. Tara and Jax. Once Krystal has her babies, they're actually moving. They're going to go live on the ranch in Norco with Nero. He's going at the end of this month to get things set up, and then once the club takes care of the Irish mess and Krystal has the twins, they're moving down there," she blew out a sigh, and I knew what she was thinking. Norco was close enough to visit occasionally, but it wasn't going to be a trip we could really make every other weekend, and she liked being able to see Abel a lot more often than that.

Removing one of my hands from hers, I ran it through my hair, blowing out a sigh of my own. "They said that there's room enough up at the ranch that we could move in for a while until we found our own place, if we wanted, but I said I have to talk to you. I know you only moved here so you could live near your best friend. I don't want to take you away from her, but I don't want to be that far away from my child either. What are you thinking? What do you want to do?" she asked, her brown eyes meeting my blue ones.

Honestly, she was right. I had moved here for Krystal, but I knew that if I tried to tell Krystal I was staying here for her, and letting Wendy move without me-which would be the only option besides me moving, because I would not make her stay here when she wanted to move to be near her child-she'd just force me to move. And she'd be right. We'd been long distance best friends for years. We'd met online. Our friendship would last whether or not we lived in the same town, or even state. She would want me to be happy though, and if I stayed and let Wendy go, I wouldn't be, and we all would know that.

Reaching out, I cupped her jaw, using my thumb to caress her cheek. "Then I guess we're moving to Norco in a couple months, baby," I said, and her eyes brightened, as if she hadn't expected me to agree to move this easily. "I love you, Wendy. I love Abel, too, honestly. If your kid is going to be living down south, that means you're moving down south, which means I am moving down south. Krystal, Brie and I will all be friends no matter where we live. You're going to be my wife, which means Abel is going to be my stepson. I live where my family lives. No hesitation at all, my love," I told her.

For a moment she stared at me in awe. "I love you so much, Skyeann Leigh Mueller," she said, but then I saw her brow furrow and realize she was considering all the details, all the planning we'd have to do in the next couple months to move. We'd have to take care of everything here, and try to start applying for jobs there. We'd start looking for places to live, because we wouldn't want to stay at the ranch any longer than necessary. I made her eyes focus on me again, then told her that everything was going to be fine. "You're right. We'll figure this all out. As long as we have each other, everything will be fine," she leaned over to kiss me, and then she went to retrieve Abel from the living room where she'd left him with Krystal and Brie, and then she headed home.

Once she was gone, I laid back on the bed. I'd put on a brave face, but I was still nervous about moving. I wouldn't hesitate to do it for her, of course, but my anxiety was going to be hassling me every step of the way. Krystal and Brie came in a few moments later, laying down on either side of me. "So I guess she told you, huh?" Krystal said, and I wasn't surprised she knew. If Jax had brought it up at the table, of course Juice would have told Krystal. "I filled Brie in while Wendy was in here talking to you. Juan told me yesterday, after Jax announced it in church. I can't believe y'all are going to be leaving," she said, and I could hear that her voice was thick with tears.

Grabbing one of their hands in each of mine, I squeezed. "I just told Wendy, and I'm telling you guys right now. It doesn't matter where any of us live. We've lived on opposite sides of the United States and still been best friends. We're always going to be best friends. We'll be able to visit each other, and have weekly phone calls or Skype sessions, or anything. We've done it before and we can do it again. At least we'll be living in the same state this time, which is more than can be said for any other time we've not lived in the same city," I told them, and they each rested their heads on my shoulders and we all just laid like that for a few minutes before we finally got up to go to the living room and smoke and get our girls weekend started.

 **A/N:** _I have been really busy lately. Still writing somewhat, but not as much as I was. I've just moved and am adjusting to new roommates and stuff. If I have to, I'll end up going back to one update a week, but at this point I think I'll be able to keep up my twice a week updates. Please let me know what you think. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	17. First Lady

(Brie's POV)

Our girls weekend was going great. I loved getting to spend time with Krystal and Skye. Krystal didn't get to drink anymore, but she smoked with us, and Skye and I both got cross faded and we remembered good times, talked about what we wanted from our lives, and discussed the fact that Skye was going to be moving soon, and then getting married next year. I couldn't believe how much things had changed. Krystal was married and popping out babies. Skye was getting married. I was happy in my relationship, but I still didn't know that marriage was what I wanted. I worried that one day Chibs was going to ask, and I would have to say no.

My worries woke me early that morning, before Krystal even came back, so I was sitting on the balcony, playing with my laptop, listening to music and scrolling through Tumblr, when Krystal came over. I had my headphones in, so I didn't even notice her until she sat next to me, placing a bakery box and a cup of coffee next to me. She lifted the lid on the box to reveal a dozen donuts as I pulled out one of my earbuds. "Take a donut, drink some coffee, and tell me what's been on your mind," she said, leveling me with a look that said she wasn't going to let me get away with saying, 'nothing.'

Pulling out the other earbud, I set the laptop aside and picked up a donut, taking a drink of my coffee and swallowing before taking a bite. I chewed thoughtfully, using the process to stall. She quirked an eyebrow at me as I took my time, and I finally broke the silence. "What if he wants to get married one day? I don't want that. I don't know if I'll ever want that. Or kids? I still don't want any kids either. He deserves to have someone who loves him and wants to give him that. I love him, but I don't know how to be an Old Lady to a MC president. He deserves someone different, someone who fits in better," I explained.

Even though she had picked up a donut of her own and started eating it, she set it back down again, focusing on me as I rambled. She took a moment to process and think about what to say before responding. "You don't know for sure that he'll want to get married and have kids one day. He's not exactly young. Maybe he just wants to be with you. He loves you, Brie. Stop sabotaging your future because you're unsure of what it holds. You did the same thing with Shawn," she paused for a minute, letting her words sink in.

Before I could even ask why she was bringing Shawn up, she continued. "You know you did the same thing. You weren't ready to commit, and it ended up screwing up your whole relationship. You're a huge commitment-phobe, we all know this. Right now, you're happy with Chibs, and he's happy with you. That's all that should matter. He knows you don't want to get married. He knows you don't want kids. You're happy being Auntie Brie. That's perfectly fine, you know. Why are you trying to get out of your relationship now for issues that aren't even issues yet? You don't have to abandon ship now because it might spring a leak later," she picked up her donut again and began to finish it.

For a while, I didn't even have anything to say. She finished her donut and I still hadn't spoken, so she finally just went on. "As for the being Old Lady to an MC president, no one's expecting anything of you that you don't want to do. Just because you're the Presidents Old Lady, doesn't mean you have to organize everything. We know how much I like to organize and plan stuff. Let me do it. Or Venus. She might end up the VP's Old Lady, and she can take care of everything. You don't have any obligation to do anything you don't want to do," she said, and I realized I had been more worried about that than I'd originally thought.

Honestly, though, she was right. I was probably trying to self-sabotage and ruin everything before life had a chance to do it for me. I sighed, and leaned against her and she wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we both picked up another donut. I tilted my head to look at her. "What about you? How are you doing with everything?" I asked her. We had talked last night, of course, but I just wanted to check again when we were sober. She shrugged, and was about to answer, but then her phone rang.

Pulling it out of her pocket, she stared at the screen. I saw the number, the area code indicated the call was from Oakdale, or near there. I wondered if she knew the number. I glanced at her face and realized then that she did. I could tell she was debating on whether or not to answer, but she finally swiped her finger across the screen to the left, answering the call. "What do you want?" she spoke, her voice hard, showing little emotion at all while making it clear that she was not going to prolong the conversation.

Moving away from me as a voice answered, she stood up, listening. She began to pace. "What the hell makes you think you can do that?" she paused, listening more as she paced. She stopped to run a hand through her hair, and then began to pace again. I just sat and watched. I could tell she was getting angrier by the minute. "Screw you. You do what you want, but you have absolutely no case. I am next of kin. He's staying with me," she paused as the person on the other end started speaking again. She only listened for another couple moments before she pulled the phone away from her ear, hit end and then threw it off the balcony.

Watching to make sure it didn't hit anybody, I saw the phone land in the parking lot of the garage as she shouted and then cursed under her breath. She stopped pacing to look at me, calm herself and try to gather her emotions so she could speak. "I shouldn't have done that," she glanced out toward where her phone had landed. I still didn't say anything, waiting. "That was Elizabeth. I shouldn't even have answered. She's threatening me. Doesn't think I can raise David. Said she'll call CPS and make a complaint," she started shaking, she was so upset, and she sank into a chair, holding her head in her hands.

Getting up, I walked over to her, rubbing her back. I saw Juice and Chibs pull into the parking lot. They hadn't had a chance yet to check on the construction work, and I guessed that they were doing it now. I saw Juice notice Krystal's phone in the lot and look up at the balcony, his eyes finding his wife, then meeting my gaze. I nodded, and jerked my head in her direction, letting him know to come up. He immediately headed over. I met my boyfriend's gaze and he gave me a curious look as he followed Juice, but I just shrugged, returning my attention to my best friend as I tried to calm her down. The stress could not be good for the twins.

A few minutes later, the sliding glass door slid open and Juice stepped out onto the balcony. I stood and let him take my place, returning inside while he comforted her. I noticed that Skye was awake now, and found her in the living room with my boyfriend. I walked over and gave him a hello kiss, then faced Skye, perching on the arm of the couch. "She got a call from Elizabeth. Threatening to take David from her. She is so pissed. She threw her phone. Right off the balcony," I said, and Skye's eyebrows rose, but she said nothing. She didn't have to. We were both thinking the same thing.

Some "family" Krystal had. I really hated them, as I knew Skye did. Just the same way Krystal and I hated Skye's family and Krystal and Skye hated mine. We hated each other's families in the ways we couldn't hate our own. We each hated the other's families for what they did to us, how they treated us, because even if we couldn't completely hate our own family, we could definitely hate anyone who mistreated our best friends, whether they were related or not. I shook my head and rolled my eyes, and the three of us waited for Juice and Krystal to come back into the room.

After a surprisingly short amount of time, the sliding glass door opened and Krystal led the way into the house, Juice following behind her. He said hi and bye to both Skye and I, gestured to Chibs and headed for the door. Chibs stood, giving me another kiss before he followed Juice outside, closing the front door behind him. I studied Krystal, who looked at us sheepishly. "Juan's going to get me a new phone. He'll bring it by later. For now, we're getting back to our girl's weekend," she tried to get away with not explaining anything else.

Neither Skye nor I were going to let her get away with that, though. We didn't move as she took the box of donuts into the kitchen. She came back and stopped when she saw we were in the same positions. She heaved a sigh and sank onto the couch. "Oh alright. It was just Elizabeth being a controlling bitch, as she usually is. Juan made me realize that even if she does call CPS, she has no case. If they come to investigate, they'll see that this is nothing more than some stupid family issue and they won't take any action. I can't stress over it. Most likely, nothing is going to happen, so I've got to focus on staying as stress-free as possible for the twins," she said, rubbing her growing stomach lovingly.

Even though she said she was going to try to stay as stress-free as possible, we all knew this was going to bother her. Of course it would. I couldn't understand why her family couldn't just leave her the hell alone, but I wasn't going to say anything now. I decided to just let the subject drop. I looked over at Skye, who nodded to let me know we were on the same page. We both sat on either side of her and I started to pack the bong. "She's a bitch. Juicey boy is right. There's absolutely nothing she can do. She's just trying to hurt you. Don't let her," she said to Krystal, I nodded my agreement, and that was the last we spoke of it.

Glancing sideways at Krystal, I nodded, and she knew that I was allowing her to bring up what she and I had talked about earlier, so she did. She explained to Skye what I had told her, and what her take on it was. Skye gave her own opinion, which was similar to Krystal's. We smoked, and then Krystal decided to put on some music, so we began to sing along. We waited inside with the air conditioner on until it wasn't so hot outside, then went night swimming over at Krystal's as the perfect end to our girl's weekend.

 **A/N:** _Here's the new chapter. Only a few more chapters left in this part. Please review! And thank you to everyone who does read and review! I appreciate it so much. Next chapter is titled: Family Agreement._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	18. Family Agreement

About a week after I'd started my maternity leave, and I'd spent most of my days in the pool. Instead of lounging in bed, I preferred to lounge out on a floatie, sunglasses and tanning lotion on, dipping into the water every so often to stay cool, and sometimes swimming laps. I was already bored. I knew the twins were likely to make their appearance at 36 weeks, though, and I was already at 33 weeks, so I was basically just hanging around waiting for them to get here.

Everything was nearly ready for their arrival. The guys had helped Juan with painting the nursery last month because they knew the next few weeks would be busy making sure everything went smoothly. I'd had them paint the walls sea green and on one side, I'd had them paint Michael's name in baby blue paint, above his crib, and the other wall had Evelyn painted in lavender above her crib. I'd had them paint quotes in various colors on the walls and ceilings. Until they had their own rooms and were able to pick the decorations themselves, I thought being surrounded by positive words would be nice.

Against the wall opposite the door, between the two cribs, sat two rocking chairs, with the changing table in between them. That was the only furniture we had for now, though. We had asked everyone coming to the baby shower-which would be the weekend after next-to bring a package of diapers in addition to a gift. Diapers were expensive. Any extras we could get now would be great. We had registered at Babies R Us, but anything we didn't get at the baby shower, we'd be able to pick up before the babies got here.

Suddenly, the music I had been playing shut off, and I opened my eyes, turning my head until I found my husband standing by the edge of the pool. He wasn't alone, however. David was with him, which was to be expected. The two had been over at Scoops together. I was more surprised by the woman standing slightly behind and to the left of my husband, dressed like she was a lawyer or social worker, or something like that. I was leaning toward social worker and meeting my husband's gaze confirmed it without either of us having to say a word: Elizabeth had followed through with her threat.

As quickly as I could, I got off my floatie and got out of the pool, grabbing a towel. "Jeannie Foster, this is my wife, Krystal Ortiz. Angel, this is Jeannie, from CPS," Juan made the introductions and I dried my hand before shaking hers, as he went on. "David and I were just getting home when her car pulled up. Do you want us to stay out here, or should we go inside?" he addressed me first, letting me know how she'd come to be in our backyard, and then directed his question at the tall brunette.

Taking in my still wet bathing suit, she gestured to the house. "Actually, Krystal can go change if she likes. I do need to talk to her alone, since the complaint is directly against her, and I need to speak to David alone after, but perhaps while she's changing, you can take me on a walk-through of the house? I need to see David's room in particular," she suggested, and my husband nodded, so we all went inside, me heading for our bedroom while Juan began to give her a tour.

Closing the door behind me, I stripped, grabbing panties and a bra, a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt of Juan's, but once I put them on, I sank onto the bed. I was trying very hard not to freak out, but I needed a moment to compose myself before talking to this woman. I couldn't keep doing this. I was going to have to come to some kind of agreement with Elizabeth if today went okay for me. I couldn't have her complain again and CPS come to the house again. It was too much stress, and that was the last thing I needed. I'd almost convinced myself that nothing was going to happen, since it'd been a month since I'd spoken to her, but apparently it just took that long for CPS to get to the complaint. I really hoped Jeannie was a good person and would see the truth.

After five minutes, I realized I needed to face the music and stood, heading out of the room. I found them in the living room. David was playing a video game, and Jeannie and Juan were sitting on the couch. She stood when she saw me, gesturing toward the back of the house. "I saw a very nice patio set back there. How about we go out there for privacy, and David and Juan can stay in here. Then when you and I are done talking, I'll come in here to talk to David. Okay?" she asked, and I nodded, leading the way outside. Juan caught my hand and squeezed it as I passed him, and I sent him a grateful smile for the support. We didn't need to say anything to understand each other.

When we passed through the kitchen, I asked if she wanted anything to drink. She declined, but handed me a small cup and I realized I would need to give her a urine sample. I snorted and shook my head. "She really mentioned drugs? She must be desperate. I am going to be honest with you. I have a cannabis card, and I do smoke sometimes, but I don't do anything other than that," I told her and she nodded, telling me she'd need to see the card, so I went inside to use the bathroom, and when I was on my way back outside, I grabbed my wallet, so I could show her my card. "I smoke for my depression and my anxiety. I tried so many different meds for them, but nothing worked. This does," I explained, handing her the cup and the card.

Waiting on the results, she looked at my card, confirmed it was legit, and handed it back. "I get that. Honestly, I really do. Do you mind if I ask you something, though?" I gave a nod to indicate that she could feel free. "The complaint mentioned a messy house, and you being irresponsible, but I've done my research already. I interviewed a few of your colleagues at the hospital. I spoke to your boss. You're never late. You just got married. You have one speeding ticket on your record, and your house is one of the cleaner I've seen. I can't tell you who filed the complaint, but do you know someone with a grudge? Because I honestly see no reason why this complaint will go any further than today's visit. Everything is checking out. You seem like you're taking good care of David," she told me.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair, trying to decide what to tell her, but she did seem like a genuinely good person, so I lifted a shoulder. "My family has never had faith in me. They're pissed because I'm next of kin and I want nothing to do with them, so it's likely I won't let him near them either, but I can't keep doing things like this. Even if this does check out, it's still on my record that you've had to come out here. I don't want to keep having to do this. I'm grateful that you're so nice, but I'm going to have to come to some kind of agreement with them. This kind of stress isn't good for my babies, or David, or even Juan. He worries about me stressing out," I said, placing a protective hand on my stomach.

Smiling, she saw that the test had the results so she wrote them down. Then she went through the routine questions, just to get them over with, even though she had interviewed people at the hospital, she had to hear the answers from me, such as where I worked, how long I'd worked there, how long I'd been married, etc. Basically, all the basics about my life right now. She asked questions about David, how I thought he was adjusting, and even about Juan, and his reaction to us having to raise my little brother. I was honest about everything, and she smiled as she stood, shaking my hand. "I have to talk to David now, but I don't think I'll have to be out here again. I hope you get things settled with your family. I'll send your husband out here so I can talk to David alone," she said before she went inside.

A few minutes later, Juan came out, handing me a bottle of ice water he'd pulled out of the freezer. I smiled at him, thanked him for thinking of me, and then let him pull my feet up in his lap and start to rub them once he'd sat down. They were so swollen, even though I usually preferred for them not to be touched, I wouldn't mind having someone constantly rubbing my feet right now. "She said the case is probably going to be closed. She's already interviewed people from the hospital. She didn't understand why someone had filed a complaint against me at all," I told him, my head leaned back and my eyes closed as my husband's amazing hands worked my feet.

Once Jeannie was gone, I left the guys playing video games in the living room and then went to the bedroom to call Elizabeth. I had been serious about trying to come to an agreement with her. Juan had said he didn't like it, but he would support whatever I decided to do. "Here's the deal," I said when she answered, without saying hello. "I'm pregnant. I can not keep dealing with stress like this. The investigation checked out. CPS agent said she's closing the case. I still want nothing to do with you, but if David wants to see you, I might agree to take him to stay out there for a weekend every once in a while, if you stop with your threats, okay?" I proposed.

There was silence for a few minutes as my cousin thought this over. I could tell she didn't like it, but I was waiting for her to agree. I knew she would eventually. She finally did, and I told her she could call me when she wanted to take him for a weekend. I made it clear that I didn't want to hear from her except to do with David, and I didn't really want to hear from anyone else at all. I sounded like a bitch, I'm sure, but I have a habit of letting people treat me like shit when I love them, and even though my family had pulled some shady shit with me, I did still love them. I just didn't want to get back on that train of being hurt by them. It was better for me to cut the negative out of my life completely. She wouldn't understand that. No one in my family ever did, the same way they never thought that my feelings were valid.

After hanging up the phone, I went back downstairs, sitting in between my husband and my little brother on the couch. I played the video game for a little while, as we took turns, but I had to get up to make dinner. Once we'd eaten, we went back to the living room and I read a book while they went back to the video games. I had to smile as I looked up at them every once in a while. They got along really well, and I was grateful for that. David knew we weren't trying to replace his parents, but we were his guardians now. We acted more like friends to him, but he did listen when we disciplined. It was a slow transition, but we were all easing into it. I thought we were doing really well, and I was glad someone on the outside thought so, too.

 **A/N:** _Hope you like it. Please read and review. Thanks. Next chapter is the baby shower._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	19. The Baby Shower

A couple weeks later was the baby shower. I couldn't believe how big I was, and hopefully still growing. I wanted to keep the babies in as long as they would stay in my womb. Most twins came around 36 weeks, so I was lucky to be 35 weeks and counting. I was definitely ready for all of this to be over, though, at the same time. I hadn't left the house much in the last couple weeks. Juan didn't want me on my feet long enough to do any kind of shopping, and since it was summer and school was out, I didn't even have to drive David to school. I was kind of losing my mind, but Brie, Skye and the club and other Old Ladies stopped by often enough to keep me from totally losing it because I was stuck in the house.

For the past couple days, I'd been feeling some cramping on and off, but I wasn't really thinking anything of it. I had read all about Braxton Hicks, or false labor, so I'd mostly attributed it to that. The pains hadn't started coming regularly yet, and they were still a long way apart. My water definitely had not broken, so I wasn't planning on going to the hospital until either that happened, or I started having cramps or pains I could no longer ignore. I didn't even tell Juan specifically about the cramps. He had noticed a few times when I had paused whatever I was doing for a moment until it passed, but I had assured him I was fine.

Even though I was allowed two family members back in the labor and delivery room with me, I was just going to have Juan stay with me. I couldn't make the decision between Brie or Skye, so I didn't, choosing to opt for only my husband. If my mom had still been alive, I might have asked her, but she wasn't, so it was a moot point. Same could be said for Gemma, honestly. I would have asked Crystal once upon a time, but she also wasn't an option anymore. Tara would spend a lot of time coming in and out of the room to check on things, but I didn't ask her to stay the whole time because I knew it would be a lot of wasting time. I only need my husband to keep me company and keep me distracted.

Despite hoping that the babies would stay put at least another week, we already had my overnight bag packed, with the extra phone charger, so we wouldn't have to remember to grab one, books, the outfits we wanted the babies to come home in, my robe, the speakers for my phone so I could have music playing in the room, and other things that we could possibly need. It was in the coat closet right off the entry way. When it was time, we were taking David over to Jax's house on the way to the hospital. Since David and Abel were so close, Jax had said he'd watch him.

Mostly, I was planning on getting an epidural. I was a little nervous about the needle in my back, but the idea of all the pain didn't sound fun to me. I was hoping to get through the birth as quickly and feeling as little pain as possible, but I knew birthing plans don't always go as planned, so I wasn't counting on anything, really. I tried to be flexible, because even when I did plan things, they usually went wrong, so I tended to take things as they go, and didn't completely plan every last detail of everything out. That's why I had an idea of how I wanted things to go, but I didn't get my heart set on anything. If I got the epidural, great. If I didn't, I'd find a way to deal with that, too.

Skye and Brie had planned my baby shower, and were taking care of everything, which I was glad for, because when I woke up, my back was aching. It usually was, these days, as the doctor had already estimated that the babies weighed about five pounds each already, give or take a few ounces, but it was feeling a tad worse than usual, though I didn't plan on mentioning that to Juan, either, since I didn't want him worried about a pain I couldn't really do anything for. I knew he already was worried about the pain I was going to be in giving birth. He hated me being in pain, so I hated letting him know when I was.

My husband had been so amazing during the pregnancy; I still didn't know how I'd gotten so lucky. I had been bitchy at times, weepy at others, one moment completely comfortable, the next I couldn't find a comfortable position no matter how I tried. I'd asked him to go on food runs in the middle of the night, and rub my feet, back, or anywhere he would, and through all of that, he had never complained once. I knew he was as ready for this pregnancy to be over as I was, but he never let me know that, and I loved him so much for that. I only knew because I knew him so well. He was extremely patient with me and my attitudes and all the kinds of crazy that my hormones were making me.

When I woke up that morning, I rolled over and curled into his side. I knew that part of the reason he was so patient when I was moody was because there were just as many perks to me being pregnant as there were downsides. We both enjoyed the increase in my sex drive, and I knew he enjoyed the fact that my boobs had grown so much. I just hoped they didn't stay quite so huge once I was done breastfeeding. I knew they wouldn't shrink back to their original size, but I hoped they at least shrunk a little. I woke him up in our favorite way, and then I had to get in the shower so that I'd be ready when everyone came over.

As I was headed for the shower, I unlocked the front door, so Skye and Brie could come right in. They were due to arrive soon so they could begin setting up. I showered and took my time getting dressed. I had picked out a sea green halter maternity dress, which had blue and lavender flowers on it. I'd seen it when I was at Walmart picking out the paint colors for the nursery and it had matched so well I'd thought it would be perfect for the baby shower. It had a low back and the skirt flowed to mid-thigh. I grabbed a couple socks and my Converse and sat on the bed, but before I tried to bend over to put them on, my husband was kneeling at my feet, putting them on for me.

When he finished, he started to stand, but I wrapped my arms around his neck before he could fully straighten, pulling his lips to mine in a kiss. He deepened it, one hand going for my hair while the other hand rested at the small of my back and I was breathless when I pulled away, noticing that I had laid back on the bed and he had his knees on either side of me, his arms holding his body off of me. I pushed him up, then got to my feet. "Sex fiend. I have a baby shower to get downstairs for. And you guys have things to do," I said, suppressing a sigh.

All the plans Jax and the guys had been making in the past couple months were finally happening. They were meeting with Roarke today, and then Connor after that, although Connor had no idea what was happening. I was worried about my husband, about all the guys, really. I didn't know what was going to happen when Jax killed an Irish king, and I was scared that it wasn't going to be as easy as he expected. I knew it was his revenge for Opie and Gemma, not to mention our clubhouse, but it was hard not to worry about the blowback from this. I hoped he was right and he'd found a solution that would put this whole mess to bed, but I was used to expecting the worse.

Lifting my chin so our eyes could meet, Juan reached up and cupped my face with both hands, staring into my eyes as he did. "Everything is going to be fine, love. We're all going to be okay. I promise. We're going to be okay. I will see you tonight, angel of mine," he said solemnly and I nodded slowly. I took a deep breath and nodded again, trying to convince myself his words were true. "Have a good time, today, please. I'll call you when it's all over. I love you, Krystal," he said, and I repeated the words back to him before he gave me one last kiss, and then left.

Following a few moments later, I went down the stairs as I heard his bike pull away. Skye came over and put a length of ribbon that was tied to make a necklace and had a small plastic pacifier on it-not one a baby would use, but the kind that can be used as party favors at baby showers-for one of the games. There was one for everyone who would be here. "You're not allowed to cross your legs, at all. If you see someone do it, call them on it and you get their pacifier. If they have more than one, you get all of them. Even if you lose yours, you can always get them back by spotting someone else cross their legs. Whoever has the most at the end of the shower gets a prize," she reminded me of the rules, even though I had been the one to suggest this game. I nodded and took my seat in my favorite recliner.

Looking around, I saw the lavender and baby blue decorations. Skye and Brie had decorated for both a baby girl and a baby boy, since that's what we had. They had made favors that said Evelyn Marie Ortiz and others that said Michael Anthony Ortiz. I had helped them pick games, but they had completely planned and decorated everything, and I thanked them both profusely as people started to arrive. We played bingo with baby objects, and Venus won a prize. We played the game where they showed us a tray of objects for a length of time and then the person who could correctly remember the most objects-which happened to be Lyla-won. We also played the baby food game. We all smelled five different baby foods and the person(s)-Brooke and Wendy were the only ones who guessed all five-who correctly guessed the most flavors won.

One of the final prizes went to Tara, who apparently knew me best, aside from Skye and Brie who weren't allowed to play because they had chosen the questions and made sure to get all the correct answers from me, even though they had already known the answers, they had double checked to be sure. The game had been 10 questions about me, and Tara had gotten them all correct, which surprised me. Venus had gotten second place with that one, answering 9 of the questions correctly, and Brooke and Lyla had tied with 8 correct answers, while Wendy had only answered 7 correctly, causing Skye to tease her and tell me that she was bad at remembering things, so I shouldn't be offended.

Honestly, I think all of us needed the distraction. I knew I couldn't be the only Old Lady here worried about our guys, but we all seemed to have a good time anyway. We had cake, and I wasn't completely sure, but I was pretty sure that we'd gotten everything we needed. I was going to have to put everything away sometime this week and check to be sure, though. I ended up winning the final prize, because I never crossed my legs while I sat, so it really hadn't been fair. I was always good at this game, and usually ended up winning. I had a total of 6 of the pacifiers, with Brooke and Brie being the only ones who hadn't lost theirs.

Despite the fact that we all enjoyed ourselves, I knew we were all waiting on word from our men, and I wished one of us would just get a call already. I had been increasingly uncomfortable all day, my back aching and cramping, and I just wanted my husband to come home so I could crawl into bed with him and sleep. I was just walking to the bathroom when I noticed a liquid spill down my legs. "Shit," I said, catching the attention of the other women. I was about to tell them what happened when my phone started ringing, the ringtone I had specifically for Juan. "Hey, Ace. You've got impeccable timing. Can you meet me at the hospital? We're about to have two babies," I informed him.

 **A/N:** _I am SOOOO sorry. I've had a lot going on this month. My real life Brie and Skye and I have had a falling out and that has seriously gotten me into a writer's block. I haven't been able to write since. And I've been kind of homeless since, and my work schedule has been thrown off. My daughter started school. There's just been a lot of shit going on. I really apologize for the delay. I have this part finished and have for a while so I should have continued posting. I think I'm going to finish up posting this part. (There are two more chapters and an epilogue.) I'll post a chapter a week. I'm going to take a break after that, though, before I start posting part 5. I'll probably start posting again when I can get writing again. This part does wrap up quite nicely though, so I might not post a part 5, unless y'all are really interested in it. Then I will start posting again when I can get over this writers block. It's just hard for me. When things aren't right with my real life Brie and Skye, it kinda skewers everything for me. I might just have to get over it, though, because I don't know if we'll be able to get past this. Anyway, y'all don't wanna hear about my drama. I hope there are still people reading. Again, I am sooooo sorry for the delay._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	20. Taking Care of Business

(Juan's POV)

Leaving Krystal home with only the other women for her baby shower was not really something I wanted to do, but I knew I had to do my part. I had to trust that we would be okay and she would be okay. Everything had to go perfectly. Our family of five had to survive this. I was amazed that I already thought of David as ours as much as I thought of Evelyn and Michael as ours. We were a couple who had three living kids and one angel in heaven, even though my DNA was no part of two of them (David and her baby that had died), and her DNA wasn't directly part of one of them (her brother).

Just a couple of years ago, I never would have expected my life to be like this. We hadn't met for the second time yet. The club was my main focus. I didn't care about finding love. I wasn't looking for someone to spend my life with. SAMCRO was my priority and I got laid whenever I wanted. I definitely wasn't thinking about becoming a father, but now here I was. I had a pregnant wife, and we were taking care of her brother, expecting our own flesh and blood to be joining this world any day. She had walked back into my life and now I couldn't imagine it any other way. I didn't want to, either.

When I arrived at the clubhouse, I was glad the contractors had finished in time. We had been a bit worried they wouldn't. They'd had a lot to do this week, but they had managed to get it all done. We were going to go meet Roarke and Connor at the warehouse, Jax was going to kill Roarke, and then we were going to let Connor know how we were moving forward from this. We were stepping away from the gun trade. He was going to sell to the Mayans, and they were going to distribute to the gangs. It had taken a lot of negotiation between Alvarez, Jax and Tyler, but they'd worked out the territory issues. We'd be here to play mediator if we had to, but we weren't going to be directly involved in anything illegal anymore.

Once Roarke was dead and Connor had spoken to the kings, we were going to come back to the clubhouse. We were going to have one last church with Jax at the head of the table, then he was going to pass the gavel over to Chibs. Chibs was going to officially pick his VP (he'd been stubbornly silent about it when asked) and then Happy was going to black out Jax's ink tonight. Jax was planning on heading to Norco this week to set up the rooms for him, Tara and their kids. Tara was staying till the end of the month, then she'd be working at a hospital down there starting next month. Nero was already living there with his boy. Skye and Wendy had already applied for jobs down there and they would make the move when they had jobs lined up, then they'd stay at the ranch until they found a place to live.

Things were changing, and I knew my wife was hesitant about change. She was going to miss her best friend. She didn't really want to stay in Charming forever, mainly because she hated living in California, but I promised her that one day, we'd retire up north, either in Washington or Oregon, because that was what she wanted. I knew she was sacrificing that dream to stay with me because the club was mine, so I vowed that one day, when I was ready to step away from the club, as Jax was doing now, we would move up north. She'd given me so much, I wanted to be able to give that to her one day.

As I waited for the rest of the guys to arrive, so we could all head to the warehouse, I smoked a cigarette. I was thinking about my wife, mainly hoping that she didn't go into labor any time soon. I wanted to be there for the whole thing. Even though she was still only 35 weeks pregnant, the doctor had told her the twins could come any time now and they should be okay. I was just hoping she at least waited until tomorrow, or even just until today was over. I had noticed that she had been having more back pain and discomfort the past couple days, even though she hadn't said anything. Jax joined me, silently, without me noticing. "Thank you for doing this today. I know you hate leaving Krystal alone when she's so close to having the babies, but we need you," he said after a few minutes of silence.

Nodding, I just shrugged. I didn't really need the thank you. I wouldn't have missed this. As much as I loved my wife, and I would be there for her at a moment's notice, I would be there for my club, too. As long as they both didn't need me at the same time it was all good. "I wouldn't miss this, brother. I'm here. As long as she doesn't go into labor, you know I'm here. We're all going to get through this whole. We're almost on the other side of all this shit. You've done amazing things for this club. We've just got to get through the next couple hours. We got this," I said, taking the last drag of my cigarette and then tossing the butt on the ground, stepping on it to put it out.

Clapping me on the shoulder, Jax took the last drag of his cigarette, and after he dropped his butt and stepped on it, he gave me one of those one-armed man hugs. "I really do appreciate it, man. I know I'm leaving the club in good hands. And I don't know for sure any more than the rest of you, but if Chibs does pick you, I know you're going to make a great VP," he said, probably to reassure me. I had been trying not to overthink it too much. If he picked me, great, and if he didn't, that was okay too, but I realized how nice to was to hear Jax's approval if he did pick me. I thanked him before we headed off to gather everyone up so we could leave.

A little while later, we were all at the warehouse. I was standing with Chibs, Tig, Jax and Connor as we waited on Roarke. Rat and Quinn were keeping watch on the building. T.O. even had some of the Bastards hidden around the perimeter just in case things got out of hand. There were only a few Grim Bastards anymore, and we'd talked about voting T.O. in if the Bastards folded. Jax had even talked to the Presidents of the other charters to change that bylaw about not allowing anyone of color into the club, so if it came to that, we'd have the okay. That was one of his final acts as president, he'd said, getting us out of illegal ventures and changing the bylaw that had almost gotten me killed. He wanted to leave a good legacy.

Cars pulled up, and a few minutes later Roarke, with a couple of other Irishmen flanking him, walked into the warehouse. Jax didn't bother to hesitate. He pulled out his gun, shot Roarke in the head before he could even react. Chibs and I also drew our guns and before his men had a chance to react, they were dead, too. Tig drew his weapon and all four of us were aiming at Connor, and the men he'd had with him. "No need for harsh reactions. The killing can end here," Jax said, lowering his gun in an effort to get the Irish to do the same.

Gesturing to his guys so they would lower their weapons, Connor swallowed audibly, looking at the dead bodies, and then back at Jax. "What the bloody hell are you doin'? You think you can kill a King and get away with it, Teller? What the fuck do you think is going to happen now?" he asked, running a hand through his hair as we all lowered our weapons, though Chibs and I kept our stances ready. We were ready to protect ourselves in case the conversation went awry.

Shrugging, Jax put his gun back into the waistband of his pants, replacing his shirt over the top so it was hidden, then smoothing his hair before addressing Connor's questions. "Belfast already has the word. They will smooth the transition there. After the action the Real IRA took against us that caused the death of Opie and my mother, and the destruction of our clubhouse, we're not working with them anymore. Which puts you in a great position. They already knew of your treason, playing them, earning more than you told them and lying to them about it. Roarke was going to kill you, or have us kill you. Either way, you were going to end up dead," Jax paused then, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

Eyebrows raised, Connor waited to see how this was going to benefit him. "I couldn't let that go completely without taking a life, so Roarke here is my retribution. His death is also your salvation. You can take over the guns here. I know you have your own connections. You will sell your guns to Alvarez. He'll meet with you so you two can iron out those details. SAMCRO will no longer be distributing. That's going to be taken over by the Mayans. We'll be around, obviously, to mediate if necessary, but we want no part of it anymore. I'm stepping down, and our club will be pursuing legal means to earn money only. We just saved your life. You can't go back to Ireland. You pretty much have no choice in the matter, but I tried to work it so you'd have advantages, too," he finished.

Opening his mouth, Connor tried to speak, but nothing came out. He closed his mouth, opened it to try again, but closed it for the second time. "I think the words yer lookin' for, Con, are 'Thank you very much,'" Chibs supplied for him when he opened his mouth once more and still said nothing. He was trying to process, trying to find a way out of this, or a way around it, but he couldn't. Jax had thought of everything. There was only one path now, if Connor wanted to live and still earn money. He finally nodded and repeated the words, and shook hands with us. Jax gave him the number to get in touch with Alvarez and we left.

As we all got back to the clubhouse, I knew I wasn't the only one ready to see my Old Lady. We were all ready to celebrate the fact that everything had gone according to plan. I called Krystal as soon as I'd parked my bike, ready to let her know that I was fine, and that she could bring all the other women that were at her baby shower over to the clubhouse to join us in our celebration. "Hey, Ace. You've got impeccable timing. Can you meet me at the hospital? We're about to have two babies," she answered the phone with those words, which had me freezing completely for a moment.

No words came to me for a moment, long enough that she thought the call had dropped. "Juan? Hey, my water just broke. Can you meet me at the hospital? Are you there? Are you okay?" she asked, the worry rising in her voice. I snapped out of my shock and answered that I would meet her there, then hung up the phone. The rest of the guys were still mingling around their bikes, getting off and headed toward the clubhouse. I started my bike again, and when Jax asked where I was going, I told him I was becoming a father, and going to the hospital before I took off, leaving the parking lot.

 **A/N:** _Sorry it's taken so long to get this up. I've been trying to work as much as I can, so I haven't even had much free time to write, even if my writer's block had let up, which it hadn't. Anyway, there's one more chapter to this and then an epilogue. I think it sums up everything nicely, so I might not ever post part 5, if my muse never comes back, but hopefully y'all will be okay with that if it is the case. I really hope my muse does come back, though. I had a lot of good stuff planned for part 5 and I already have about 6 chapters written, but if I don't find my muse to write more, I guess it'll be okay ending here. Let me know what you think. Thanks to everyone who reads, and especially to those who review!_

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	21. Welcome to the World

After getting off the phone with Juan, I called my doctor to let her know that I was headed for the hospital, and then Brie, Skye and Tara all helped me into the passenger seat of the Cutlass. Brie and Skye climbed into the back and Tara got behind the wheel to drive to St. Thomas. I was suffering through another contraction when she pulled the car to a stop, but by the time the three of them came around the car, Brie and Skye coming to help me get out while Tara ran inside to get a wheelchair and alert them that we'd arrived, it had passed. I heard the motorcycles as they were helping me sit in the wheelchair and I looked up to see my husband, Tig and Rat pull into the parking lot.

Since they were having the party, I'd told everyone else who'd been at my house for the baby shower to go ahead and go to the clubhouse and we'd let them know when something happened, but I noticed that Juan wasn't the only one who'd had followers coming with him to the hospital. Another car had pulled in, and I saw that Venus, Brooke, Lyla and Wendy were here as well. I smiled to myself, holding up my hand and telling them to wait as my husband got off his bike and ran over to me, Tig and Rat following closely behind. "Hap is blacking out Jax's ink. Chibs is packing up a cooler. Everyone else is going to be coming shortly," he greeted me, gave me a quick kiss and took his place behind the wheelchair, directing it (and me) inside.

Smiling, I looked back over my shoulder at Tig and said hi to him and Rat. "Hey baby girl. How you doing?" Tig mussed my hair and I stuck my tongue out at him, my natural sarcasm taking over as I said I was fantastic. "You can't be doing that bad. You've still got that sharp tongue," he teased and I laughed for a moment before doubling over with the pain of another contraction. I held my hand up and Juan put his hand in mine, letting me squeeze his tightly until the pain passed. I didn't hear anything being said until it was over and I realized he had pushed me up to the front desk and we were waiting for the nurse to come get us and take us to my labor and delivery room.

A few minutes later Juan, Tara and I left everyone else in the waiting room. She wanted to be in the room when I was checked so she could give reports back to everyone. I wanted her to be able to keep everyone updated so Juan wouldn't have to leave my side at all. I stripped off my clothes when I was in my room, putting on the hospital gown and sitting back on the bed. I let them attach me to the fetal monitors and put my feet in the stirrups when they came in to check me. "You're already seven centimeters dilated, dear. Should only be a few more hours. I'll come back and check you again soon," I heard the words, meeting Tara's gaze as she shook her head.

Deciding against the epidural, I told them just to give me some pain meds for the contractions and they hooked me up to an IV so they could do that, and Tara went out to update everyone in the waiting room, promising she'd be back soon. I had another contraction as the door was closing behind her, and squeezed Juan's hand. I could barely make out him saying comforting things to me, but the pain wasn't as bad as it had been. The meds in my IV were already working, and I was definitely thankful for that. The pain in my back was lessening, too, but not much. I knew that the meds were only going to take the edge off, not completely kill the pain, so I was just thankful for any lessening at all.

Honestly, I don't know who it was worse for. Yes, I was in physical pain. I kept cursing my husband, telling him we were never going to fuck again, or telling him that he was getting a vasectomy. I threatened to get my tubes tied. I said a lot of mean things, honestly, I lost track, but he took every abusive word I threw at him. I knew he would have taken the pain if he could. I held on to his hand only for the hours we were by ourselves. I knew he wanted to rub my back, but I couldn't handle any other physical contact. I didn't like people touching me when I was in pain any more than necessary. It was hard for me to even squeeze onto his hand, but we both needed it. He needed to feel like he was doing something to make it better for me, and a small part of me felt a little bit better because I was able to hold his hand.

As promised, Tara came in every thirty minutes or so, usually when the nurse was coming in to check on me, so she could get a report from me and the nurse at the same time and go update everyone. I was glad to see her every once in a while, but I was definitely sure of my decision to have only my husband be in the room with me the whole time. I didn't like people seeing me in pain, physical or mental, so it was nice to only have to pretend for only a few minutes at a time. I knew that they knew I was in pain, but I had to keep my composure anyway, and I was able to, but only for a few minutes at a time, just long enough for them to come in, get an update and go out again.

At about 15 minutes to 11, the nurse told me Dr. Greene was coming in, because it was almost time to push. I was glad for the timing, because they had refused to give me another dose of the pain meds at 10:30 because they knew it was going to be time soon, and they were starting to wear off, so I was ready to get this over with as quickly as possible. My doctor and Tara entered the room together, both in scrubs. Tara must have changed since the last time she'd been in the room. A few nurses followed, with bassinets to put the babies in once they'd been weighed and measured and cleaned.

Taking her spot between my legs, Dr. Greene told me it was time to start pushing, and Tara and Juan both encouraged me as Dr. Greene directed me for an hour before Michael Anthony joined us at 11:54 pm, weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces and measuring 18 inches in length. His cry echoed through the room and Juan cut the cord before our son was placed on my chest. I looked down at our boy and I could see both of us in his face. He had my nose, but Juan's eyes, my ears and Juan's mouth. I held him for a few moments before they took him to clean him up, because I needed to push out his sister.

At exactly 12:02 am, Evelyn Marie joined our family, weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces and measuring 17 inches long, and I had to laugh. She looked exactly like me. I could see it as soon as they handed her to me. She was going to be my mini-me, and obviously she had my stubborn streak, too, because she had to wait until she had her own birthday before she made her appearance. To get a jumpstart on breastfeeding, as soon as my babies were returned to me, I got them each to latch onto a breast, and I let them eat while Tara went to change and then update the others.

In perfect timing, the babies had just finished eating, and I'd handed Evelyn over to Juan when the door cracked open and we were transferred to the room I would be staying the next couple nights in until we were released from the hospital. "You know; they make the pain worth it. We can do this again," I said to Juan, looking up from Evelyn's face to meet his gaze as we waited for Tara to bring everyone else in to meet the babies. He was holding Michael and perched on the edge of the bed next to me.

Cocking an eyebrow, he shook his head. "I'm not sure anymore. Six weeks of no sex while your stitches heal? I don't think you'll ever let me knock you up again if it means we have to go that long without sex, angel," he teased me and I stuck my tongue out at him, reaching up to rub my eyebrow with my middle finger, but my retort was cut off when the door opened and Tara led everyone else into the room. Skye and Brie immediately pushed past her, Skye coming to my side to take Evelyn from my arms, and Brie taking Michael from Juan.

Everyone ooh'ed and ahh'ed over the babies and they all took turns holding them before they were kicked out because it was after hours. They were only allowed in for a short time because Tara had talked Margaret Murphy into letting it slide. Margaret knew they weren't going anywhere until they saw us, so she had agreed to let them have a brief visit. Everyone said they'd be back tomorrow to visit and Tara closed the door behind them as they all left. I was starting to get tired anyway, so I was kind of glad it was so late. It was already almost 1. I knew we were going to get woken up at least once, so I wanted us both to get some sleep.

My husband refused to leave. I had already spoken to my boss, who'd given me the okay, so I'd been given a room that had two beds, because it was normally for two people, and he was sleeping on one while I slept on the other. I hated sleeping in separate beds, though, so he had moved the bed over so it was right next to mine, so we could still sleep together, as long as we were careful not to fall between the beds. The babies were in their bassinets and we all settled in to get some sleep. Which lasted about 3 hours before they woke me up to feed them. Juan woke up with me, even though he didn't have to, and we both stared down at our babies as they each latched onto one of my boobs.

Tilting my head so I could look at my husband, I smiled. "You know, we make some pretty beautiful babies," I said, stretching my neck so I could reach his mouth to give him a kiss without disturbing the babies. He agreed, telling me it was because they had a beautiful mother. "Please. Evelyn may look just like me, but Michael here is about 70% you, and he is just as beautiful, so it's not just me. We make them together, same way we do everything else," I insisted and he laughed, nodding, but didn't say anything else, looking down at the twins instead.

When they were finished eating, we settled them back in their bassinets. I had nothing against co-sleeping, the same way I didn't have anything against formula fed babies. I just couldn't sleep with my baby in the same bed. I would be up all night constantly worried I was going to roll over onto them, or something. Juan agreed. We knew different methods worked for different people, so we were going to do what worked for us. I hated the way some people bashed parents when they don't do the same exact things for their children. Each case is different. There is no single right way to raise a child. Every family has to do what works for them. The world would be a better place if people stopped judging others for their differences and just focused on living their own life, in my opinion, anyway. I just knew one thing as I thought of my family: I would always do whatever I thought was best for my children and my husband, whether people were going to judge me for it or not.

 **A/N:** _I really meant to post this on Sunday, but I threw out my back so that kinda distracted me for a few days. Next chapter is the last, and I'll try to post it as soon as I can. I really do hope my muse will come back, but I'm not betting on it, so after the final chapter of this part, y'all might not hear from me for a while. I'm sorry. I hope y'all like this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reads my work and especially thanks to those who take the time to review. Every review really means a lot to me. I appreciate it so much._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


	22. Epilogue: Happy Anniversary

As always, the twins woke me up at about five am. I had to admit, though, I was pretty lucky. They mostly slept through the night already. They usually woke up only once at about midnight, then again at around five. It was a decent schedule, and I had a pump, so Juan and I alternated nights waking up with them, so neither of us missed out on too much sleep. Even though we alternated getting up with them at midnight, though, I always got up every morning when they woke us up. Juan was able to go back to sleep, but once I was woken at five, I was up for the day. I couldn't go back to sleep, but if I was lucky, I got to take an afternoon nap. I went to the kitchen and flipped on the coffee maker, stopping in the bathroom to pee and splash some water on my face before entering the nursery.

This morning, Mikey woke up first, so I pulled him up into my arms, soothing him so he would stop crying as I settled into the rocking chair. I moved my tank top aside and let him latch on, yawning widely as he started to eat. I cooed at him when he opened his eyes to look up at me. "Good morning, Mikey. Hi baby boy," I murmured at him as I reached up and stroked his soft hair. His hair was darker like his fathers, instead of the light brown, almost dirty blonde hair color that his sister had gotten from me. His eyes were green like mine, though, even though they were the shape of his fathers. I had thought Evie was going to get my eye color, but it seemed hers was darkening from the blue of newborns to the brown her father has, though it seemed like eye color was the only thing she got from him.

Dozing in the rocker with Michael in my arms, I didn't even notice my husband had joined me until I felt his lips on my forehead. "Good morning, angel of mine. Happy Anniversary," he said and I opened my eyes to look up into his and say the words back to him. "What a year, huh? Let's hope for many, many more, though with less heartache, and possibly some that are just less eventful in general. We definitely don't want any more with newborn twins," he added and I chuckled but had to agree as I stifled another yawn. I was really hoping that next time we got pregnant it was one baby only. I would if I had to, but I'd prefer not to have twins again. One set is definitely enough for one lifetime.

Thinking back on the wedding, I couldn't believe it had been a year. Our babies were almost 3 and a half months old now. I remembered the day we exchanged vows and shook my head as I thought of all the unexpected things that had come this year. Opie and Gemma dying; having the babies; taking in my brother; Nero, Jax, Tara, the kids, Wendy and Skye all moving; Juan becoming VP of SAMCRO. Yes, Chibs had asked him. He'd waited until we were home for the hospital, but before the guys had their first church without Jax, and he'd asked Juan, who'd said yes, of course. I was proud of my husband, and proud of how far we'd come in a year.

After heading out to prepare a bottle of my pumped breast milk for Evie, he came back in just as she was starting to cry. I smiled as I watched him pick her up, change her, and then settle into the other rocking chair so he could feed her. He caught me smiling at him and raised an eyebrow at me, silently questioning why I was looking at him the way I was. "We've been through a lot of shit this year, and yet we're sitting here, stronger than ever as a couple. I'm proud of us, and I'm proud of you. You are an amazing VP. I love you so much," I said, then rolled my eyes at my mushiness.

Grinning at me, Juan stood up and walked over to give me a kiss before he settled back into his chair, somehow managing to keep the bottle in Evie's mouth the whole time. "I'm proud of you. You are an amazing mother, and Old Lady. You are part of the reason I make such a good VP. I'd be lost without you, angel. I love you, back," he said, and I felt myself blushing. I was still bad at taking compliments, so I looked down at our son as I mumbled a thank you. "One day, you're going to get better at accepting compliments, but maybe I hope you don't, because when you blush and get all embarrassed, it's adorable," he said.

Rolling my eyes, I stood and changed Mikey's diaper, then put him back in the crib because he was already asleep again. I sat back in the rocking chair to pump for a little while as Juan kept feeding Evie. I watched him silently because he was staring at her, and I loved watching my husband with our kids. He was such an amazing father. I was happy my kids-including David-were going to grow up with such an amazing man in their lives. I hoped I ended up being as good a mother as he was a father, though I already knew we were an amazing team, so I just hoped I could hold up my end of it.

After I'd finished pumping, I flipped the baby monitor back on and we went back to bed. All the kids would be up by 8 or 9, so Juan and I always took this opportunity to have morning sex, then he'd usually fall back to sleep and since I usually couldn't, I ended up going for a swim most mornings I had lost the baby weight within a month, but I was eating a lot to keep my milk supply flowing, so I figured a little morning exercise couldn't hurt. I locked the door behind us when we entered the room, because David had already walked in on us once when we'd forgotten to lock it, and it was an experience none of us wanted to repeat.

Pushing him back onto the bed, I took control this morning, which was rare, honestly. I could be dominant, but most of the time I preferred to bottom, which suited both of us just fine. I pulled off the tank top and shorts I'd been sleeping in, then stepped up to my husband, pulling off his pajama pants and boxers before I straddled his waist, leaning down to kiss him as I began rocking my hips, grinding his cock against my sex, which was already wet for him. I kissed my way from his lips, across his jaw, down to his ear, tracing the shell with my tongue and then nipping on it before I kissed down his neck, nipping and sucking. I heard the moans in the back of his throat, which elicited moans of my own as I continued rocking my hips.

When he could take the foreplay no longer, I lined myself up and slid onto his dick, taking in a few inches before I pulled back, then dropped back onto it, letting him in a little more. His hands rested on my hips as I moved, guiding me as I continued to pull back, then take him in further, again and again. When I finally slid down all the way, taking in every amazing inch of my husband's cock, I started to move faster, picking up the pace as I moaned, dragging my nails down his chest as I came a few moments later, biting onto his shoulder as I tried to stifle my cry of pleasure. He followed me less than a minute later, growling my name.

Collapsing on him, I scooted so I was lying next to him, though still partially draped over him, my head resting on his chest and my leg thrown over his. He was playing with my hair as I absently traced my fingers over the tattoos on his chest and he placed a kiss on my head. "I love you, angel," he said, and I said it back, before he fell asleep a few minutes later. I thought about getting up and going to the pool, but my orgasm had been so intense, my legs still felt a little wobbly, so I decided to wait a little bit longer, only I was asleep again before I ever had the chance to get out of bed.

Cries woke me up a couple hours later. I stretched, slipping out of bed and grabbing my clothes, but before I could even stand up, I heard a voice coming through the baby monitor, and even though I'd been trying to get up without waking Juan, I forgot all that as I squealed, jumping up and throwing on my clothes before running out of the room and to the nursery. "You're early! Oh my God, Booboo! I've missed you so much!" I said, probably too loudly, when I got to the room, finding her holding Evie. "Let me go get you a bottle so you can feed her," I said before I went to the kitchen.

Finding David in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal, I mussed his hair, telling him he's not supposed to answer the door before we're awake. He replied that he hadn't, she had used her key and come in, and I laughed before returning to the nursery. I handed Skye the bottle, then set the one I'd prepared for Michael aside so I could pump until he woke up. I had to get enough pumped so we could get through the party for Brie's birthday later. "Well, yes I came early today. I was able to get a girl to trade days with me so I didn't have to go in today after all, so I was going to head to the apartment, but I decided to come see my godchildren first," she said when I was settled down. "You and I are going to get her so we can spend the day together, since I won't be able to stay until her actual birthday, and I kinda figure we might as well get you two fitted for your Maid of Honor dresses since we have about 5 months until the wedding," she added.

So that's what we did. I finished pumping, went to the bedroom to wake up my husband and get dressed. I put on lime green skinny jeans, a black tee-shirt and my leather jacket and boots. I put on Juan's flat bill hat that had the Reaper on it and grabbed my sunglasses and then I was ready to go. I left the babies with Juan and David, told them I'd see them later for the party, and we went to get Brie before going to the bridal store across from Scoops. I had missed spending time with both of my best friends, even though Skye had only been gone two months, and we'd spent a weekend out of each month together, and the three of us Skyped at least once a week. I was still getting used to her living so far away, even though we'd only lived in the same town a little over a year.

After Skye had picked out our dresses and we'd gotten measured, we went out to lunch, then spent the afternoon hanging out before heading over to the clubhouse just in time for the party. I found my husband first, and he told me the babies were already asleep, and since I'd spent the day pumping at regular intervals so I'd be able to drink tonight, and the twins would still get fed, I took a drink and then joined the rest of the guys and Old Ladies in celebrating our President's Old Lady's birthday. I had to admit, as the night wore on, I was so glad that I had decided to approach Juan that day in Charming. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have this amazing life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 **A/N:** _Well here it is. The final chapter in this part. Possibly the final chapter in the whole series. I really hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I still am stuck in my writer's block, so I'm thinking of going back and rewriting the chapters I already have written of part 5, if I can. I'm not making any promises. We shall see what happens. Please review. I want to say thank you to everyone who has read this series, and a special thank you to stordec23 who has been such a faithful reviewer. I appreciate you so much._

 **Disclaimer:** _I don't own anything._


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